La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader sweep of UW-Stevens Point Saturday night at Copeland Park. The Eagles won the opener, 11-7, and the nightcap, 2-1. UWL improves to 20-14 overall and 8-8 in the WIAC while UW-Stevens Point drops ot 16-16 overall and 8-8 in the conference.
It marks UWL's seventh straight year with at least 20 victories. The Eagles won a school record 39 games last season.
UW-Stevens Point took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in Saturday's opener on Kyle Mrozinski's two-run single. UWL responded in the bottom of the first sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 11 runs on eight hits with one UW-Stevens Point error.
Carter Hoffman had a pair of hits in the inning as all nine starters recorded an RBI. Hoffman,
Nick Pescheck and
Nate Heili each scored twice in the inning.
The 11 runs in an inning ranks seventh in school history while the eight hits are tied for fifth-most. UWL had a school record 17 runs in an inning versus Loras College (Iowa) May 7, 1965 while the Eagles had a school record 10 hits in an inning versus Occidental College (Calif.) March 19, 2000 and against UW-Superior May 6, 1995.
After recording eights in the first inning Saturday, UWL was held to one hit over the next seven innings. UW-Stevens Point scored twice in the third and eighth innings and once in the sixth.
Mason McMahon (3-1) earned the win for UWL, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs and four walks while striking out four. The Eagles had nine hits with Hoffman finishing 2-for-3. UWL drew nine walks in the game, including five in the first inning. Pescheck, Hoffman and Heili each finished with two walks.
Derek Kawleski (2-4) suffered the loss for UW-Stevens Point, going 0.1 of an inning, allowing three hits, six runs and two walks with one strikeout. The Pointers had 12 hits as Ben Gerber finished 4-for-4 with four runs scored. Mrozinski had five RBI.
UWL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning in the nightcap on Hoffman's single scoring
Sam Prissel. UW-Stevens Point tied the game in the top of the seventh as Ryan Stanicek tripled and scored on a wild pitch. UWL quickly took the lead in the bottom of the seventh as
Nate Roethle scored on Prissel's RBI single.
Brock Rude (3-1) earned the win for the Eagles, pitching 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one walk while striking out four.
Connor Cook started, going 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits, one run and six walks with four strikeouts. UWL had seven hits as Prissel finished 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Chris Hetzel (1-1) suffered the loss for UW-Stevens Point, pitching a complete-game. He went 8.0 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs and one walk while striking out two. The Pointers also had seven hits with Tyler Thomka finishing 2-for-4.
UWL returns to action Tuesday, May 2 at St. Olaf College (Minn.) for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.
