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Pointers' Run Comes
to an End at World Series
In a tournament run that included 10 straight victories when
facing elimination, UW-Stevens Point's bid for an 11th came up just short as
the Pointers lost a hard-fought 5-4 game to Wheaton (Mass.) Sunday at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute at the NCAA Division III World Series.
Trailing by four runs heading
into the bottom of the ninth, the Pointers (35-18) showed how they won 10
straight games when facing a do-or-die situation. Catcher Doug Coe hit a
hard line drive past the second baseman for a base hit with one out to start
the rally. Coe was lifted for pinch runner Joel Hojnacki, who stole second
before a strikeout left the Pointers with one out left in their
season.
Senior Chuck Brehm gave UW-Stevens Point a huge lift as he hit his
team-leading 16th home run of the season to left field to draw the Pointers
within two at 5-3. Designated hitter Jordan Zimmermann followed the Brehm
home run by working a bases loaded walk. Tim Schlosser plated Zimmermann with a
long single to left center to bring the winning run to the plate for
UW-Stevens Point. The rally fell short, however, as Brandon Scheidler struck out to end the game.
"Our guys weren't going to give up, we had them on the
ropes," Pointers head coach Pat Bloom said. "To bring the winning run to the
plate says a lot about our character."
Wheaton, which also beat the Pointers 3-2 on March 19
in Port Charlotte, Fla., took the lead in the bottom of the third
inning. Travis Anthoine hit the first of his two doubles to lead off the
inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to third, Jake Yagjian grounded out
to first to plate the game's first run. Anthoine finished three-for-three
with two runs driven in while batting in the ninth spot in the batting
order.
Wheaton added to its lead in the top of the fifth as Anthoine worked a leadoff walk. Anthoine moved to second on a wild pitch and on to third
by another sacrifice by Rafael Castillo. Yagjian picked up his second RBI of
the day with a run-scoring single to second.
Kempf pitched five and one-third innings for UW-Stevens
Point allowing all five runs on nine hits as he struck out seven. Jeff
Zielke pitched the final three and two-third innings for the Pointers giving
up only two hits with four punch outs.
"Travis threw well, he didn't deserve that fate." Bloom
said. "They got it done when it mattered."
UW-Stevens Point responded in the bottom of the fifth
inning. Evanoff walked to start the frame and quickly moved to second as
Brehm was hit by a pitch. Zimmermann squared to bunt and advance the runners
with no one out, but he found a hole on the right side of the infield for
the Pointers first hit of the game. With the bases loaded, Schlosser hit into
a six-four-three double play to cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the top of the sixth,
Wheaton took advantage of a Pointers' miscue and some timely hitting to
increase its lead. The Lyons got back-to-back singles to lead off the
inning and advanced them into scoring position with their third sacrifice
bunt of the game. The Lyons then attempted a suicide squeeze that was missed
by Brandon Leonard, but the Pointers failed to tag out the runner as he made
it back to third safely. Leonard proceeded to walk to load the bases and
then Anthoine and Rafael Castillo delivered consecutive singles to drive in
all three runners for a 5-1 cushion.
UW-Stevens Point opened the eighth with pair of baserunners as Schlosser singled and Scheidler was hit by a pitch. With two on
and none out, Frombach hit a ground ball down the third base line that was
turned into a five-three double play. Nat Richter grounded out to end the
inning. The Pointers grounded into three double plays in the game and left
five runners on base. Schlosser was the only Pointer with two hits as the
team had six, a day after the offense rolled for 14 hits.
Wheaton (40-9) improved to 10-1 in one-run ball games
this year as the Pointers fell to 2-11 in games decided by one run.
Louie Bernardini threw eight and one-third innings for
Wheaton before leaving after the Coe single in the ninth. Bernardini
improved to 6-2 allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five.
Jamie Baker who entered the game with a 1.17 earned run average, allowing
only three earned runs all year, surrendered the Brehm home run and allowed
two earned runs before recording the final out.
"We're going to miss our seniors" Bloom said after the
game, talking about Brehm, Frombach, Richter and Josh Perkins. Bloom spoke
highly of the team's family atmosphere and the seniors that he referred to
as "quality individuals" that the team was "proud of and loved."
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