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Pointers Clinch
Second Seed for WIAC Tournament
UW-Stevens Point clinched the second seed for next
weekend�s Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament
as the Pointers swept a doubleheader from UW-La Crosse by 10-0 and 5-4
scores on Friday in Stevens Point.
The Pointers improved to 23-14 overall and 15-6 in
the WIAC with the victories to claim the second seed. UW-La Crosse was
eliminated from the postseason as the Eagles fell to 17-19 overall and 9-13
in league play. UW-Stout swept UW-Platteville to claim the fourth seed.
UW-Stevens Point received solid starting pitching
performances from Jordan Zimmermann in the opener and Mike Thrun in the
second game as each pitched seven innings while combining to allow just one
earned run.
Zimmermann allowed just four hits and struck out
eight in seven scoreless innings in the opener to improve to 6-0 for the
season. The Pointers scored six of their 10 runs by groundouts or errors,
taking advantage of five UW-La Crosse errors.
UW-Stevens Point�s big inning came when leading
1-0 in the third. Following an Eagles� error, Adam Evanoff hit a run-scoring
triple and then UW-La Crosse committed errors on three consecutive plays
that led to four more runs and a 6-0 Pointers� lead.
The Pointers added single runs in the fifth
through eighth innings to win by the 10-run rule. Stewart Larsen was
two-for-three with four RBI�s, getting a squeeze bunt in the second, a
two-run double in the third and a run-scoring fielder�s choice in the fifth.
Evanoff, Zimmermann and Ryan Byrnes all had two hits for the Pointers, while
Mike Schmidt and Joey Casper each collected two hits for the Eagles.
Thrun surrendered seven hits and struck out three
to earn the victory in the second game. Zimmermann hit a two-run double in
the third inning for a 2-0 advantage, but the Eagles came back with three
unearned runs in the fourth as Dusty Otto hit a sacrifice fly and Casper
ripped a two-run single.
The Pointers regained the lead in the sixth
following a two-out double steal by Evanoff and Tim Schlosser, who each
recorded their first stolen bases of the season. On the next pitch, Juston
Bushong lined a single up the middle to score both runners.
UW-La Crosse tied the game on a sacrifice fly by
Sean Cory in the seventh, but the Pointers took the lead in the bottom of
the inning as Evanoff hit a two-out, run-scoring single to left center field
for a 5-4 lead. The Eagles had a runner on second with none out in the
eighth and a runner at second with one out in the ninth, but Matt Mehne
worked out of both jams to earn the save for the Pointers. Eagles� Pinch
hitter Lance Poppy lined a sharply hit ball to centerfield in the ninth and
the runner took off, resulting in an easy game-ending double play.
The Pointers had just five hits in the second
game in tough conditions with a strong wind blowing straight in from left
field. |
