Sports
The Pointers huddling with coach Pat Bloom during the first game of the doubleheader against UW-Stout Wednesday afternoon.
Third baseman Kevin Thomas tagging out a Blue Devil at the plate.
Pointer splits doubleheader against Blue Devils
Sports Reporter
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point baseball team dug themselves an early 5-0 against the Blue Devils of UW-Stout on Wednesday at University Field. They fought back hard in the eighth and ninth innings, but came up short 8-6. They then came back to close the doubleheader with a 5-3 victory.
The Pointers are now 14-9 overall and 2-4 in conference.
UW-Stout got the team on the board first using some small ball. Dane Carlson hit a bases-clearing triple off starting pitcher Kyle Barry that scored three runs in the top of the second inning. A ball was squeezed by UW-SP catcher Jordan Rennicke to allow Carlson home, making the score 4-0 after one-and-a-half innings.
The Pointers led off of the bottom of the second with Brad Archambeau reaching on a bunt off Blue Devil pitcher Nate Hanson. After some groundouts, Archambeau was unable to score and UW-Stout added to the lead in the third when Tschida hit a double to bring home Ryan Stace to make the score 5-0 after two-and-a-half innings.
Archambeau said, “We battled well, but we have to battle earlier, we can’t be down five runs after three innings. We had guys on base, we just have to get them to score.”
Pointer Scott Williams came in relief of Barry in the fifth inning. O’Connell was hit by a pitch that left runners on first and second with one out. Carlson hit a two-run single to make it 7-0.
UW-SP got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off double by Kyle Cummings. Kevin Thomas then hit a double play and Cummings scored to make it 7-1.
UW-SP scored again in the sixth inning after Jared Surman hit an RBI, fielder’s choice. Sam Spurney scored, making it 7-2 heading into the seventh.
Stout added to its lead in the eighth when O’Connell drew a leadoff walk. Carlson reached first as first baseman Jeremy Richter was pulled off the bag to allow O’Connell to score to make it 8-2. UW-SP added a run in the eighth when Rennicke hit an RBI single to bring Richter in.
Cummings led off the eighth getting hit by a pitch. Fritz then singled to have runners on first and second with no outs. Two fly outs later, Archambeau hit a bases-clearing triple to bring the Pointers within three runs at 8-5.
Fritz then drew another walk to leave the bases loaded for Thomas, who hit a sacrifice fly to bring the final score to 8-6.
Head coach Pat Bloom had some thoughts after the game.
“We need to grow up as a team and we need players to get the job done, we can’t point fingers and we need players to get big outs and big hits,” said Bloom.
The Pointers out-hit the Blue Devils 11-9, but had three errors and left many runners on base. Barry pitched four innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs. The second game was a whole new experience for the Pointers, who scored pairs of runs in the second and fourth innings. They built a formidable 4-1 lead over the Blue Devils.
Pointer first baseman Jon Schoch scored two runs and one RBI in the competition while Spurney, Josh Krueger and Rennicke earned single runs. Pitcher Jeff Zielke threw for three innings without giving up a hit or a run.
Up next for the Pointers are two conference doubleheaders against UW-La Crosse on April 18 and 19. Both games start at noon and will be played in La Crosse.
