Auburndale, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 5-4 loss to Benedictine University (Ill.) Friday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park Field. UWL drops to 5-3 on the season while Benedictine (Ill.) improves to 2-2.
UWL, receiving votes on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first Friday.
Zach Carney reached on a one-out fielder's choice and advanced to second on a Benedictine (Ill.) error. He then scored on
Brennan Schmitt's RBI single. The Eagles made it 2-0 in the top of the second inning.
Alex Robson singled to start the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on
Brady Stolzman's single.
Jack Dwyer followed with a run-scoring single to knock in Robson. UWL later loaded the bases with one out, but failed to score the rest of the inning.
Benedictine (Ill.) tied the game in the bottom of the second. Brandon Gipson reached on a one-out error and scored on D.J. Dillon's two-run home run. The Eagles of Benedictine (Ill.) took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth with an unearned run. Jack Surin reached on an error to start the inning and advanced to third on Nicholas Lee's single. Gipson's sacrifice fly scored Surin with the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the seventh, Benedictine (Ill.) added to its lead on Jonathan Hodo's two-out two-run single scoring Dillon and Brenden Norberg. UWL responded in the top of the eighth.
Luke Schmitt singled to start the inning and went to second on a wild pitch with one out.
Brady Stolzman followed with a two-run home run to cut the lead to 5-4. Carney singled with one out in the top of the ninth, but Benedictine (Ill.) got a double play to end the game.
UWL finished with 12 hits in the game, including two each by
Nate Heili, Carney, Robson and Stolzman.
Connor Cook (0-2) took the loss for the Eagles, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs (four earned) and two walks while striking out four.
Zach Pronschinske went 2.0 innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.
Benedictine (Ill.) totaled nine hits. Dillon finished 2-for-4 two runs and two RBI. James Wright (1-0) earned the win for the Eagles, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits and two runs with five strikeouts.
UWL wraps up its spring trip Saturday, March 17 versus Webster University (Mo.) at 8 a.m. (Central).
