La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened its 2022 home season and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) year with a 13-0 win in seven innings over Finlandia University (Mich.) Sunday afternoon at Copeland Park. The Eagles improve to 5-4 overall while the Lions drop to 3-8 on the season. Finlandia (Mich.) was also playing in its conference opener.

Brady Schmitt (1-0) earned the complete-game victory for UWL on Sunday, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out 17. The 17 strikeouts ranks second in single-game school history. Dave Benedict struck out a school record 18 against Winona State University (Minn.) on May 22, 1950. 

Schmitt struck out at least one hitter in all seven innings, including striking out the side in the second, sixth and seventh. He also struck out three in the top of the third around a single and walk. 

UWL took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first Sunday. Jonathan Wizner walked to start the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. He later scored on Jack Olver's RBI double to make it 1-0. Olver scored on a Finlandia (Mich.) fielding error for a 2-0 lead. 

The Eagles scored 10 runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth, sending 14 batters to the plate. Jack Kelly had an RBI single for a 3-0 lead and Zach Carney was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-0. Kelly scored on a passed ball and Jacob DeBruin's single gave UWL a 6-0 advantage. Carney scored on a passed ball while Mac Born had a two-run double for a 9-0 lead. Olver's sacrifice fly scored Wizner and Kelly added a two-run double to finish the scoring in the inning. 

Spencer Hans had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to score Carney with the final run.

UWL finished with seven hits as Born, Olver and Kelly each had two. Kelly had a game-high three RBI while Born and Olver each had two. Wizner, Olver, Vivian and Carney each scored twice. The Eagles drew nine walks. 

Finlandia (Mich.) was held to two hits, one each from Jordan D'Angelo and Jacob Godoshian. The Lions did not advance a runner past second base. Jacob Mead (1-2) suffered the loss, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, nine runs (eight earned) and six walks while striking out nine.

The teams will play three seven-inning games Monday, March 28 starting at noon at Copeland Park.