Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team split a pair of games with second-ranked UW-Stevens Point Monday afternoon at University Field. The Eagles took the first game against the Pointers, ranked second on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III Poll, 11-6, then lost the second game, 6-0. UW-L is now 9-9 overall and 3-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while UW-Stevens Point is 14-2 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC.  

In the first game, UW-L took a four-run lead in the first inning.  Taylor Kohlwey led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch.  Bryce Barsness was then walked.  Cole Cefalu followed with a bunt single to third base to load the bases.  Alex Cordova then singled to center field, driving in Barsness and Kohlwey to take a early 2-0 lead.  After a Travis Buxton-Verstegen bunt single, Joel Zyhowski was able to reach on a fielder's choice scoring Cefalu.  Josh Rowles added another run on a sacrifice bunt to first base, scoring Cordova.  

Cefalu made it 7-0 in the top of the second inning on a three-run home run to right field scoring Barsness and Kohlwey.  

UW-Stevens Point battled back in the bottom of the second.  Cody Hanke was hit-by-pitch following a Jimmy Coady single down the left field line.  After a strike out, Bobby Gregorich loaded the bases when he reached on a bunt.  Clint Rose then singled to left field scoring Hanke and Coady to cut the deficit to 7-2.  After another hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Brandon Kranz singled to center field knocking Rose and Gregorich.  

In the third inning, the Pointers cut the lead to 7-5 when Coady was able to reach base on a wild pitch after striking out.  He later scored on an infield hit by Taylor Carlson.  

The Eagles were able to tack on two more runs in the top of the seventh for a 11-5 lead. Kohlwey reached on a hit-by-pitch. Barsness followed with a single through the left side with Kohlwey able to score all the way from first on a UW-Stevens Point fielding error.  After a groundout, Cordova singled to right field to knock in Barsness.  

UW-Stevens Point added another run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run by Hanke.  

UW-L added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Cordova ripped a double to left center, while Zyhowski reached base after being hit-by-pitch. Rowles drove in both runs on a single to right field.  

Ben Cejka (3-1) earned the victory for the Eagles, throwing a complete-game.  He went 9.0 innings, allowing nine hits and six runs (five earned).  Cejka did not walk a batter while striking out a career-high 14.  His 14 strikeouts is tied for sixth in single-game school history. Dave Benedict struck out a school record 18 versus Winona State University (Minn.) in 1950.

The top-four batters in UW-L's line-up went a combined eight-for-16 with 10 runs scored and seven RBI.  Cordova went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI while Cefalu finished 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.  Kohlwey went 1-for-3 while Barsness went 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Kohlwey and Barsness each scored three runs. 

The Pointers' JP Feyereisen (3-1) suffered the loss, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, nine runs (eight earned) and one walk with six strikeouts.  He entered the game having allowed one earned run in 23.0 innings.  

In the nightcap, UW-Stevens Point took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning with Rose scoring on a Kyle McHugh single.  The Pointers added another run in the bottom of the seventh on Bryton Guckenberg's RBI groundout.  

UW-Stevens Point broke open the game scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.  McHugh's single scored Riley Spetz for a 3-0 lead.  Hanke's two-run single made it 5-0 and Steldt added a run on a sacrifice bunt.  

Troy Kenkel (2-1) took the loss for the Eagles, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits and five runs with three strikeouts.  

UW-L was held to five hits in the second game Monday.  Cefalu finished 2-for-4.

Cam Seidl (4-0) earned the complete-game win for the Pointers.  He went 9.0 innings, allowing five hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts.  

UW-L returns to action Wednesday, April 9 for a WIAC doubleheader against UW-Platteville.  Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Copeland Park in the Eagles' home opener.