DAVENPORT, Fla. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team (3-4) handed newly minted No. 1 Endicott (10-1) its first loss, 8-4, to begin a split against ranked teams on Tuesday. In the nightcap, UWSP was shut out, 6-0, by No. 13 Johns Hopkins (9-5).
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) provided the big blow with a bases-clearing three-run double in a seven-run sixth inning that put the Pointers in control against Endicott. It was one of three hits on the day for Comer.
Freshman
Jackson Adams (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) had four hits on the day, including his first career three-hit performance against JHU.
Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) added three hits over the two games.
Game 1 – UWSP 8, Endicott 4
The top-ranked Gulls took the lead in the third on a pair of doubles to put UWSP behind, 1-0.
Trent Van Ess (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) drew a walk with one down in the sixth to begin a rally.
Kamden Oliver (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) reached on an error with UWSP ending up with runners on the corners.
Connor Olson (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) tied the game with an RBI single. Following a pitching change,
Nick Argersinger (Bristol, Wis./Westosha Central),
Tino Ramirez (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) and
Mason Fink (Verona, Wis./Verona) drew consecutive walks pushing home to two runs for a 3-1 lead. After another pitching change,
Matt Baumann (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) drew a base on balls to make it 4-1. Comer then followed with a bases-clearing double into the left field corner for a 7-1 advantage.
After EC got one back in the seventh, Oliver drew a leadoff walk in the eighth. Two groundouts moved him to third and he scored on a balk.
The Gulls pushed across single tallies in the eighth and the ninth to complete the scoring.
Jacob Meinholz (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) went 4.0 in his first start of the season. He struck out one while allowing just one run against on five hits.
Nathan Krommenakker (Rudolph, Wis./Lincoln) picked up the victory with 2.0 innings in relief with one strikeout.
Bryce Ehr (Plover, Wis./SPASH) fired a perfect inning in the seventh and
Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) tossed the final 2.0 with three strikeouts.
Game 2 – UWSP 0, JHU 6
Comer singled with one away in the first. He stole second and third, but was stranded there when the inning ended.
In the bottom of the third, Adams registered his first hit with a one-out single. He was replaced at first by Baumann on a fielder's choice. Baumann stole second and Comer followed with a walk to put two aboard. Tomczak hit a single into left-center, but Comer was cut down at third before the run could score.
The Blue Jays broke the scoreless tie in the fifth. JHU scored four runs on five hits to put UWSP in a 4-0 hole.
JHU added two runs on a walk and a home run in the sixth.
The Pointers got a runner aboard in the sixth, two in the seventh and another in the ninth, but were unable to generate a run in any frame.
Steven Wintheiser (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) struck out three in 4.2 innings in the start.
Kaden Krueger (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) struck out one in 0.2 IP.
Joe Schneider (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) fanned two in 1.2 innings of relief.
Jeremiah Jahnke (Winneconne, Wis./Winneconne) and
Riley O'Connell (West Bend, Wis./West) each made their UWSP debut with 1.0 IP and a strikeout apiece.
The Pointers return to action on Thursday (March 21) with a 10:15 a.m. ET tilt against Western New England.
