Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened its 2019 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season with a doubleheader sweep at UW-Stevens Point Saturday afternoon at University Field. The Eagles won the opener, 12-3, and the nightcap, 12-1. UWL improves to 4-6 overall and 2-0 in the WIAC while UW-Stevens Point falls to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in the conference. 

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning Saturday as Nate Heili walked to lead-off the game and later scored on Brennan Schmitt's sacrifice fly. UWL scored twice in the second and third innings to lead 5-0. Cal Tully scored on Carson Youngquist's RBI double for a 2-0 lead and Youngquist later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. Youngquist's two-run home run in the third gave UWL a 5-0 advantage. 

UWL scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth on a UW-Stevens Point error. Youngquist connected on his second two-run home run in the sixth inning to make it 9-0. UW-Stevens Point got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on Payton Nelson's three-run home run. The Eagles finished the scoring with three runs in the eighth on Youngquist's two-run single and Jack Dwyer's RBI double.  

UWL totaled eight hits in the opener as Youngquist finished 4-for-5 with three runs, two home runs, one double and seven RBI. The seven RBI are tied for fifth in single-game school history. Youngquist's seven RBI are the most since Taylor Kohlwey totaled seven versus UW-Stout on April 27, 2014. John Knispel had a school record nine RBI against UW-Eau Claire on May 4, 1951. 

Schmitt scored three times in Saturday's opener while Tully scored twice. 

Mason McMahon (1-1) earned the win for UWL, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out six. Owen Olson went 2.0 innings, allowing four hits and three runs with three strikeouts while Bryce Wesling pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. 

UW-Stevens Point finished with eight hits with Tommy Duddleston going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Alex Stodola (1-2) suffered the loss, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing one hit, three runs and five walks with two strikeouts. He also had five wild pitches. UW-Stevens Point walked eight batters overall while hitting five and throwing six wild pitches. 

In the nightcap, Connor Cook (1-1) earned the complete-game victory. He went 9.0 innings, allowing five hits, one run and two walks while striking out a career-high 10. 

UWL took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Heili tripled to the start game and scored on a wild pitch. UW-Stevens Point tied the game in the bottom of the second on Ryan Stanicek's sacrifice fly. 

The Eagles regained the lead in the top of the third as Heili scored on a Youngquist single to make it 2-1. Alex Robson scored on Jake McLellan's RBI double for a 3-1 UWL lead. 
 

UWL scored four runs in the eighth on two hits with Tully having a two-run single and Parker Plume a two-run home run. The Eagles finished the scoring with five runs in the ninth. Plume and Heili each had RBI singles while Zach Carney was hit-by-pitch with the bases-loaded. 

UWL finished with 14 hits as Heili and McClellan each had three. Youngquist and Plume each had two hits with Plume finishing with three RBI. 

UW-Stevens Point totaled five hits with Kyle Mrozsinki finishing 2-for-4. Carter Daniels (2-1) suffered the loss, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs and one walk with six strikeouts.

The teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday, March 31 starting at noon.