Auburndale, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team dropped a pair of games Monday at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational. The Eagles, now 0-4 on the season, fell 1-0 to Benedictine University (Ill.) before a 3-1 loss to second-ranked Rowan University (N.J.). UWL is receiving votes in this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll while Rowan (N.J.) is ranked second.
Versus Benedictine (Ill.), UWL left a pair of runners on base in the top of the second and stranded the bases loaded in the fifth. Benedictine (Ill.) scored the game's only run in the bottom of the seventh. Jack Feeley singled to lead-off the inning and advanced to second on Jack Surin's sacrifice bunt. UWL starting pitcher
Garrett McGraw was replaced by Caleb Williems, who struck out Tyler Woynerowski for the second out of the inning. Nicholas Quick then reached on a UWL error with Feeley moving to third. Pinch-runner Michael Santarelli then stole second and advanced to third as Feeley scored the only run of the game.
McGraw (0-1) retired the first nine batters of the game for the Eagles, going 6.1 innings. He allowed three hits, one run (unearned) and one walk while striking out six. Willems went 1.2 innings with one strikeout. UWL finished with five hits in the game as
Nate Heili went 3-for-4.
Brady Stolzman and
Cal Tully also recorded hits.
Alexander Schram and Marty Maves combined on the shutout for Benedictine (Ill.). Schram (1-0) earned the win, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Maves earned his second save, going 2.0 innings while allowing one hit and striking out two. The Eagles of Benedictine (Ill.) were held to three hits.
UWL took a 1-0 lead over Rowan (N.J.) in the top of the sixth Monday. Heili walked with one out and stole second. After a groundout,
Brennan Schmitt delivered a pinch-hit two-out single to score Heili.
Mitch Sutton followed with a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it out to a double. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the eighth when Rowan (N.J.) tallied its three runs. Frankie Aiello was hit-by-pitch with one out.
Zach Pronschinske then came into pitch for UWL starter
Jack Mizgalski. Aiello stole second and advanced to third on Eric DiDomenico's pinch-hit single. Matt Woods then singled in the infield to score Aiello with the game-tying run. After a strikeout, Mitch Walker delivered a two-out triple knocking in DiDomenico and Woods for a 3-1 lead.
Sutton singled to start the ninth inning for UWL, but was erased on a double play.
UWL finished with five hits as Sutton went 2-for-4. Mizgalski went 7.1 innings, allowing five hits and one run while striking out two. Pronschinske (0-1) suffered the loss, going 0.2 of an inning while allowing three hits and two runs with one strikeout.
Rowan (N.J.) had eight hits in the game with Anthony Harrold finishing 3-for-4. Woods went 2-for-4. Jean Sapini (1-0) earned the win for the Profs, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one walk. Andrew Cartier earned his second save, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one hit with one strikeout. Justin Smith started for Rowan (N.J.), going 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and two walks while striking out six.
UWL returns to action Wednesday, March 20 versus Anderson University (Ind.) at noon. The Eagles will also play a junior varsity game versus Ripon College (Wis.) at 3:30 p.m.
