Early Lead Pushes Pointers Past Kohawks

Box Score

     UW-Stevens Point scored runs in each of the first five innings, taking advantage of nine walks and five hit batters in a 16-5 win over Coe in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III regional baseball tournament on Thursday in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

     The Pointers, who improved to 30-16 for the season, are now 20-0 when scoring in double figures this year. The 30-win campaign is the Pointers� sixth in the last 10 years. They face St. Thomas in another elimination game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Coe ends its season with a 27-19 overall record.

     UW-Stevens Point scored in the first inning on a run-scoring single by Ryan Byrnes and then got a two-run single from Jake Frombach in the second inning and a sacrifice fly by Nat Richter for a 4-0 advantage.

     Coe added two runs in the third inning and nearly had a third on an unusual play that proved to be an early turning point in the contest. Chad Kramer, who reached on a run-scoring fielder�s choice, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on another wild pitch. The second wild pitch went back to the fence in front of the Pointers� dugout on the third base side where catcher Doug Coe was unable to find it. Kramer raced around third and attempted to score, but Pointers� pitcher Josh Perkins sprinted to the ball and flipped to Coe, who tagged out Kramer on a close play at the plate.

     In the bottom of the third, the Pointers used the momentum to score six runs on two hits as Coe led off with a double and scored on a wild pitch and then, after three walks and a hit batter gave UW-Stevens Point another run, Ryan Byrnes delivered a grand slam for a 10-2 lead.

     The Pointers scored their runs on just 12 hits, taking advantage of the wild Kohawks� pitching. Overall, the two teams combined for 13 walks, six hit batters, seven wild pitches and a passed ball.

     Four UW-Stevens Point pitchers combined to limit the Kohawks to five hits with Perkins allowing three hits and two earned runs over five innings for the win. Kramer took the loss for the Kohawks.

     Byrnes drove in five runs for UW-Stevens Point, while Frombach and Chuck Brehm each had three RBI�s as each member of the trio had a pair of hits.