RIVER FALLS, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team finished up their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) weekend series doubleheader against UW-Stout on Sunday. After a close matchup in game one, the Blugolds fell short on a ninth inning comeback in game two and fell to the Blue Devils in both games, 3-0 and 11-10.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
The first game featured five scoreless innings pitched by Matt Moore (So. – Stillwater, MN), coming off his complete game and shutout win on Tuesday against UW-Oshkosh. Moore struck out nine batters and allowed only three hits and three runs during his six and two thirds' innings pitched to keep the ball game close against the Blue Devils. Eau Claire tallied six hits during in game one but left seven batters on base in their 3-0 defeat.
In game two, UWEC turned the tables around in the first inning. Phil Zynda (So. – Central Lakes, MN) doubled to the outfield for the contest's first two runs. Drew Salyers (Fr. – Centennial, CO/Arapahoe) hit his first collegiate homerun during the next at bat to score Zynda and himself for a 4-0 lead. After a ground-rule double and a stolen base by Diego Caicedo (Fr. – Pompano Beach, FL/Northeast), Scott Richards (So. – Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandberg) singled to the outfield allowing Caicedo to cross home before the end of the inning for a 5-0 UWEC.
Otto Treichel (Jr. – Madison, WI/West) added to the Blugold scoring in the second with an RBI single to score Andrew Murphy (Fr. – Mahtomedi, MN) from second to increase the lead to 6-0. Stout answered back with runs of their own in the second and third innings to cut their deficit to 6-2.
Chase Yaeger (So. – Black River Falls, WI) was consistent all weekend with a .500 batting average over the four games for Eau Claire, including an RBI single in the 4th inning to make it 7-2 in favor of the visitors. The Blue Devils would calm the Blugold offense through the next four innings and score eight runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the 8th to shift the momentum into a 11-7 lead heading into the final inning.
After a strikeout began the top of the ninth inning, the next three UWEC were walked to load the bases. A strikeout of the fifth batter held Eau Claire at two outs with runners at every base. Otto Treichel, the sixth batter in the inning for Eau Claire, was also walked to push David Janssen (So. – Lino Lakes, MN/Centennial) across home plate for the first run of a potential comeback. Ryan Venne (So. – Eau Claire, WI/North) came to the plate next as a pinch hitter and doubled to score Chase Yaeger and Nate Witte (So. – Woodbury, MN/East Ridge) to bring the Blugolds to within one run.
The final out of the game came during the next at bat as Salyers flew out to center field for the 11-10 defeat.
The Blugolds (6-10, WIAC 1-5) will return home for their home opener against UW-Whitewater on Saturday, April 9th at Bollinger fields for another WIAC Weekend series. The Blugolds and Warhawks will play their first of two doubleheaders on Saturday with game one set for a 1PM start time.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
