UW-Stout 13, UW-La Crosse 12

UW-La Crosse 20, UW-Stout 9

Menomonie, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play with a doubleheader split at UW-Stout Wednesday afternoon at Nelson Field. The Blue Devils held on to take the opener, 13-12, while the Eagles earned the win in the nightcap, 20-9. UW-L is now 7-6 overall and 1-1 in the WIAC while UW-Stout is 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the league.

UW-L set a school record with 25 hits to win the second game, breaking the record of 22 set against UW-River Falls in 1995 and 2002. The Eagles' 20 runs tied for ninth in single-game school history while their 18 RBI tied for sixth. UW-L had 11 extra-base hits in the nightcap, including five home runs.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning, five in the third and three in the fourth for a 9-9 tie. The Eagles took a 10-9 lead in the top of the sixth on Brooks Braga's sacrifice fly to score Matt Trocke. UW-L added four more runs in the seventh highlighted by Braga's three-run home run. Jay Fanta hit a three-run home run in the eighth as UW-L scored six times to record the victory after eight innings.

Tim Verthein (1-0) picked up the win, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Zach Lauersdorf started for the Eagles, going 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits, nine runs (seven earned) and three walks while striking out six.

Braga finished 3-for-7 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored and seven RBI. Fanta was 4-for-4 with two home runs, four runs and four RBI while Zach Harazin finished 4-for-6 with three runs, two RBI, two doubles and a home run. Trocke, Corey Geary and Brett Jacobson each had three hits for the Eagles with Trocke and Geary each scoring four times. All nine starters had at least one hit for UW-L.

Brandon Loertscher (1-1) suffered the loss for UW-Stout, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing one hit, one run and one walk. Brian Giebel went 3-for-5 at the plate while Brandon O'Connell was 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBi. Jesse Brockman added a solo home run.

In the opener, UW-Stout led 12-4 after six innings before UW-L scored four times in the seventh, highlighted by Harazin's two-run double. The Blue Devils tallied once in the bottom of the eighth for a 13-8 lead and the run turned into an important one after the Eagles scored four runs in the top of the ninth on Braga's grand slam. UW-L had the tying run on second base, but failed to score.

Brandon Walczak (1-2) took the loss for UW-L, going 3.0 innings, allowing seven hits, seven runs (six earned) and two walks.

Braga was 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run, double and five RBI in the opener. For the twinbill, Braga finished 5-for-11 with five runs, three home runs and 12 RBI. Harazin, Trocke, Jacobson and Travis Martin each had two hits for UW-L with Harazin totaling two doubles and three RBI.

Nate Hanson (1-1) picked up the for UW-Stout. He went 6.0 innings, allowing six hits, five runs (three earned) and three walks with one strikeout. O'Connell was 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs, three RBI and a home run. Jake Duske had two hits, a home run and five RBI. Josh Anderson, Jon Schoch, Adam Stuessel, Kyle Reich and Brockman also had two hits for the Blue Devils.

UW-L returns to action Friday, April 9 at St. Mary's University (Minn.) at 3 p.m.