EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team battled 23rd-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Monday, but fell in a doubleheader 8-3 and 7-4 at Carson Park. The Blugolds led early in each contest, but couldn't hold on against their ranked opponent.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
The Blugolds took a 2-0 lead in the first game of the day. Andrew Murphy (Jr. - Mahtomedi, Minn.) hit an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan Casimier (Fr. - Columbia, Tenn./Battle Ground Academy) hit into a fielder's choice for an RBI in the second. However, the Pointers came back to take the lead by scoring three times in fourth inning, with the go-ahead run scoring on a sacrifice fly.
UW-Stevens Point added another run in the seventh on a sac fly before breaking the game open with a grand slam in the eighth. UW-Eau Claire got a run back on an RBI single from Jacob Lacy (Sr. - Shawano, Wis.) in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't come all the way back.
Ty Schafer (Fr. - Hoffman Estates, Ill./Saint Viator) took a tough-luck loss on the mound. The freshman pitched 6.1 strong innings, holding the Pointers to three earned runs while striking out four. Murphy finished 2 for 4 to pace the Blugolds' lineup.
The Blugolds took another early lead in game two. Walter Johnson (So. - Minnetonka, Minn.) scored on a Pointer error in the bottom of the first inning to put UW-Eau Claire ahead 1-0. UW-Stevens Point answered with two runs in the fifth, but Lacy roped an RBI double to left-center in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2.
UW-Stevens Point pulled away with five runs in the seventh to go ahead 7-2, but the Blugolds kept pushing. Drew Salyers (So. - Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe) hit an RBI double and Casimier followed with an RBI single in the seventh. However, that was as close as they would get.
Aaron Skrypek (Fr. - Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) pitched well in his start on the mound. The southpaw threw five innings and held the Pointers to two earned runs. He struck out six. James Williams (Fr. - Moreno Valley, Calif./Citrus Hill) and Ky Mueller (Fr. - Green Bay, Wis./Bay Port) had scoreless relief stints.
UW-Eau Claire is back in action on Wednesday, May 3, at Carson Park. The Blugolds host UW-Stout for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
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