EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The No. 23 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (25-9, 15-5) completed the four-game sweep of UW-Eau Claire (7-22, 1-17) on Monday to climb into a three-way tie for first place heading into the final weekend of WIAC play. The Pointers won game one, 8-3, before completing the sweep with a 7-4 win in game two.
 
Jakob Boos (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) continued to thrash UWEC pitching with four hits, including a grand slam. He had four RBI and two runs scored on the day.
 
Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) became the UWSP all-time saves leader by posting two perfect innings, including three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Brenden Canterbury (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca), Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) and Logan Homolka (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) each had a two-hit game on the day.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 8, UWEC 3
The Blugolds took the lead in the first with one run on two hits.  UWEC added an unearned run in the second to put UWSP in a 2-0 hole.
 
Canterbury was hit by a pitch to begin the fourth. Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) singled and Trent Van Ess (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) drew a walk to load the bases. Kamden Oliver (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) drew a walk to push home the first run of the inning. Homolka singled to drive in another. Quin Henwood (Appleton, Wis./North) hit a sac fly and UWSP had a 3-2 lead.
 
In the seventh, Henwood reached on an error to start the frame. Boos reached on a bunt single and Nelson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Comer hit a sac fly for a  4-2 advantage.
 
Oliver was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth. Homolka singled and Henwood was hit by a pitch loading the bases again. Boos stepped in a blasted a grand slam to right to up the lead to 8-2.
 
Nick Paulsen (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) improved to 5-0 on the year with 6.0 solid innings. He struck out nine and gave up just three hits. Nick Carpenter (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) and Austin Syvertson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) had two strikeouts each in relief.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 7, UWEC 4
UWEC again took an early lead with a run in the first on two hits.
 
Matt Baumann (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) started the UWSP fifth with a walk. With two away, Comer singled to put two aboard. Both scored on a two-RBI single by Oliver as UWSP went in front, 2-1.
 
The Blugolds pulled even in the sixth on two walks, one intentional, and a double to knot the game at 2-2.
 
Boos led off the seventh with a triple. With one away, Comer was intentionally walked and Oliver drew a base on balls to load the bases. A UWEC error allowed two runs to score. Canterbury singled to drive in another. A wild pitch plated another and an attempted double steal gave UWSP a 7-2 lead.
 
The Blugolds got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh on three hits. Ferry entered in the eighth and tossed two perfect frames, including striking out the side in the ninth, to lock down the save.
 
JD Schultz (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) tied his season high with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings to earn the win. Tyler Beyer (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) fanned two in an inning of work and Ferry struck out three, all swinging.
 
The Pointers will take on UW-Oshkosh in a four-game series at Zimmermann Field beginning on Friday (May 5) at 12:00 p.m.