LA CROSSE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team saw two upset bids fall just short in a doubleheader against No. 10 UW-La Crosse on Friday at Copeland Park. The Blugolds held late leads in both games, but ultimately fell 7-6 and 3-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blugolds (6-20, 0-16) gave the 10th-ranked Eagles (22-6, 12-4) all they could handle to open up the four-game series.
- UW-Eau Claire built a 5-1 lead through four and a half innings in Game 1. Drew Salyers (Sr. - Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) put the Blugolds in front with an RBI double in the third inning, and they tacked on two more runs later in the frame to make it 3-0.
- A two-run home run from Austin Buck (Jr. - Afton, Minn./Stillwater) in the top of the fifth made it 5-1 in UW-Eau Claire's favor.
- The Eagles answered with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, slashing the deficit to 5-3.
- Cade Mueller (Sr. - Coal City, Ill.) hit an RBI single in the eighth to give the Blugolds a three-run cushion, but they couldn't hold on. UW-La Crosse hit back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, and won in walk-off fashion in the ninth on a bases-loaded walk.
- Brennan Cohen (Sr. - Vestavia Hills, Ala.) took a tough no-decision after starting and pitching five strong innings. He held the highly ranked Eagles to three runs while striking out three.
- Eli Keirstead (So. - Savage, Minn./Burnsville) and Buck finished with two hits apiece.
- A pitchers' duel saw the Blugolds trailing 1-0 through six innings in Game 2, but Dustan Green (Sr. - Prior Lake, Minn.) delivered a two-RBI single to put UW-Eau Claire ahead in the top of the seventh.
- The Eagles immediately answered in the bottom of the seventh, scoring the tying run on a fielder's choice before tallying the winning run on a passed ball.
- Evan Fischer (Fr. - White Bear Lake, Minn./Roseville) started and worked four innings on the mound. He allowed no earned runs and struck out three. Tyler Webb (Fr. - Strum, Wis./Eleva-Strum) pitched the final four innings and struck out three.
UP NEXT
The four-game set resumes on Saturday, April 19, at Copeland Park. The doubleheader begins at 12 p.m.
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