LA CROSSE, Wis. – The No. 15 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (33-14) forced a decisive game three in the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals, but came up short in the end as No. 13 UW-La Crosse (35-11) advanced to the College World Series. UWSP posted a 24-20 win in game one on Saturday before dropping the finale, 16-10.
 
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) belted three home runs on the day with seven RBI and five hits. Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) also hit a home run and drove in seven on the day.
 
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West), Kamden Oliver (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua), Brenden Canterbury (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca) and Jakob Boos (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) all hit home runs as well. Van Ess had five RBI, Canterbury added four as did Nelson.
 
Austin Syvertson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) made his 66th career appearance on the mound, tying the program record.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 24, UWL 20
UWSP scored five times in the top of the first on five walks and a three-RBI double by Van Ess. Nelson and Comer hit back-to-back home runs after another walk to open the second for an 8-0 lead.
 
UWL scored twice in the second on three hits and a sac fly. Neither team scored in the third.
 
The Pointers posted their second double-digit runs inning of the NCAA Tournament in the fourth inning. Canterbury and Logan Homolka (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) had RBI hits to make it 10-2. Van Ess hit a sac fly and with two outs, UWSP kept pouring it on. Nelson drove in one with a single. Comer launched his second home run of the game, a three-run shot. Homolka had another RBI hit and Tomczak drove in two with a double as UWSP led 18-2.
 
Comer drove in another run in the fifth on a two-out infield single to make it 19-2. The Eagles stormed back with three runs in the fifth. UWL scored eight times in the sixth and five times in the seventh to get within 19-18. In the bottom of the eighth, the Eagles took a 20-19 lead with two more runs.
 
In the ninth, Logan Matson (Neillsville, Wis./Neillsville) reached with one away on a catcher's interference. With two down, Nelson drew a walk. Comer singled to push home the tying run and an errant throw into the dugout allowed the go-ahead run to score. Oliver followed with a monster two-run home run. Canterbury hit s solo shot and UWSP led, 24-20.
 
Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) pitched a scoreless ninth to keep UWSP alive and force game three of the series. Syvertson picked up the win in his final appearance and had one strikeout. Nick Paulsen (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) fanned three in the start. Nathan Krommenakker (Rudolph, Wis./Lincoln) also had a strikeout in relief.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 10, UWL 16
UWL scored seven runs in the bottom of the first on four hits, four walks and a hit batter.
 
The Pointers got on the board in the second on doubles by Oliver and Tomczak. The Eagles scored twice in the third to put UWSP behind 9-1.
 
Comer led off the fourth with a solo home run to right, his third of the day. But UWSP left two aboard and trailed 9-2.
 
Boos hit a solo home run in the fifth. UWSP got two runs on a double by Van Ess and a wild pitch in the sixth, but every time, UWL responded with runs.
 
UWSP got a run in the seventh on a groundout. In the eighth, Boos and Nelson hit RBI singles as UWSP got within 14-8. Again UWL responded with two in the eighth.
 
Oliver led off the ninth with a single. With two away, Tomczak popped a two-run home run, but UWSP couldn't get any closer.
 
JD Schultz (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH), Mitchell Crawley (Wind Lake, WIs./Muskego) and Tyler Beyer (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) each had one strikeout on the hill. Ferry pitched the final 4.0 innings with two strikeouts.
 
The Pointers conclude with the third-straight 30-win campaign and second-straight NCAA Tournament run to at least the Super Regional Round.  With the eight home runs on Saturday, the Pointers finish the season with 75 long balls, third most in program history.