AUBURNDALE, Fla. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team knocked 15 hits en route to a 12-4 victory over SUNY-Purchase on Sunday at the RussMatt Invitational. The Blugolds scored in each of the first five innings to pull away for a third consecutive victory.
The Blugolds scored once in the first inning before breaking the game open with three runs in the second. They tacked on single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Four more runs in the seventh all but sealed the result.
An RBI groundout from Andrew Murphy (Jr. - Mahtomedi, Minn.) got UW-Eau Claire on the board in the first. Four straight singles helped the Blugolds get going in the fourth, with Carson Windeshausen (So. - Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial), Ethan Plantz (Jr. - South Elgin, Ill./Elgin Academy) and Walter Johnson (So. - Minnetonka, Minn.) each knocking in a run.
The Panthers got on the board wiht a run in the bottom of the second, but they couldn't keep pace with the consistent Blugolds. UW-Eau Claire got a run on an error in the third, scored on a sacrifice fly from Johnson in the fourth and an RBI single by Plantz in the fifth.
Ryan Casimier (Fr. - Columbia, Tenn./Battle Ground Academy) had a memorable seventh inning, knocking the first hit of his college career and driving in two runs in the process. Ben Weiser (Fr. - Milton, Ga.) added an RBI groundout and Jacob Lacy (Sr. - Shawano, Wis.) tacked on an RBI single to put the Blugolds ahead 11-1.
Purchase scored on an error in the bottom of the seventh to extend the game, but Casimier answered with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to push the Blugolds' lead back to 10. The Panthers scored twice on back-to-back RBI singles in the eighth, but UW-Eau Claire closed out the victory in the ninth.
Joe Clinton (So. - Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail) worked five solid innings on the mound to earn his first victory of the season. He held the Panthers to one run on three hits and three walks. He struck out three. Ryan Parratt (So. - Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep) struck out two in a scoreless sixth, and Parker White (So. - Hortonville, Wis.) held the Panthers to an unearned run in the seventh. Edgar Barba (Fr. - Aurora, Ill./East Aurora) pitched the eighth and Cole Hinkel (So. - Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) worked a scoreless ninth.
Plantz led the Blugolds with a four-hit day at the plate. He drove in a pair of runs. Cade Mueller (Jr. - Coal City, Ill.) went 2 for 2, and Nate Witte (Jr. - Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) had two hits — including a double — and three stolen bases. Casimier had a team-high three RBIs.
The Blugolds are back in action against Union College (N.Y.) on Monday, March 20. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. Eastern in Auburndale.
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