STEVENS POINT, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team dropped the final two games of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) series to UW-Stevens Point 8-7 and 12-2 on Monday. The Blugolds erased a seven-run deficit in Game 1 but couldn't hold off a late Pointer charge, and the momentum rolled into Game 2.
The Blugold catchers had a big day, with
Jack Sandvik (So. - Pewaukee, Wis.) going 2 for 4 with a homer in Game 1 and
Cade Mueller (Sr. - Coal City, Ill.) going 2 for 3 with a home run in Game 2. It was Sandvik's first career home run.
The Pointers (12-4, 4-0) built a seven-run lead across the first three innings of Game 1, but the Blugolds (5-15, 0-8) responded.
Austin Buck (Jr. - Afton, Minn./Stillwater) and
Walter Johnson (Jr. - Minnetonka, Minn.) hit back-to-back two-RBI singles in the fifth to make it 7-4, and
Dustan Green (Jr. - Prior Lake, Minn.) followed with an RBI single of his own later in the frame. Sandvik hit a solo homer in the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-6, and
Diego Caicedo (Jr. - Pompano Beach, Fla./Northeast) grounded out for an RBI in the seventh to tie the game at 7-7. However, a Pointer sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the game winner.
Charley Griffin (Sr. - River Falls, Wis.) started on the mound and threw five innings, holding the Pointers to four earned runs. He struck out a pair.
Ben Teigland (Jr. - Hastings, Minn.) took a tough-luck loss in two innings of relief despite allowing no earned runs.
Johnson got the Blugolds off to a good start in Game 2, belting an RBI double in the top of the first inning for an early 1-0 lead. It didn't last though, as the Pointers scored 12 runs across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pull away. Mueller hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough to extend the game beyond seven innings.
Sebastian De La Toba (So. - Chula Vista, Calif./Olympian) pitched 4.1 innings in Game 2 and allowed three earned runs. He struck out three.
UW-Eau Claire will return to action on Wednesday, April 10. The Blugolds visit Carleton for a nonconference doubleheader in Northfield, Minnesota. First pitch is at 2:30 p.m. for a doubleheader which will feature two seven-inning games.
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