RIVER FALLS, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team was back on the road to continue Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play as they faced off against UW-Stout for a Saturday doubleheader. Despite getting an early lead in both games, the Blugolds dropped the first two games of the weekend series to the Blue Devils, 11-6 and 16-3 (7 innings).
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Jacob Lacy (Sr. – Shawano, WI) got things started in the first inning with a single to left field that scored Otto Treichel (Jr. – Madison, WI/West). As Lacy was thrown out on his way to second base, Andrew Murphy (Fr. – Mahtomedi, MN) crossed home plate for a 2-0 lead. Murphy led the Blugolds at the plate all day with four hits, three runs, one stolen base, and an RBI during his eight plate appearances.
After two runs by the home squad in the 3rd and 4th innings, Murphy gained back the UWEC lead on an error to make it 3-2. Stout answered back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth for their first lead of the game. Otto Triechel evened things at 4-4 in the top of the 6th with a single to right field to score Chase Yaeger (So. – Black River Falls, WI) from second base.
With no answer from Stout in the bottom of the 6th, David Janssen (So. – Lino Lakes, MN/Centennial) and Diego Caicedo (Fr. – Pompano Beach, FL/Northeast) both drove in runs for a 6-4 lead before the seventh inning stretch. Stout responded with seven unanswered runs in the 7th and 8th innings to take game 1, 11-6. Nico Smith (Fr. – Chicago, IL/Taft) pitched six innings with one strikeout, seven hits, and four runs to keep Eau Claire in the ballgame for the first two thirds of the contest.
Game 2 featured a similar start as Treichel doubled with two outs to bring Andrew Murphy across the plate for a 1-0 lead after the top of the first. Stout rattled off six runs themselves in the bottom of the first to eliminate the early Blugold lead. Eau Claire were able to cut the deficit to 7-3 in the 5th as Andrew Murphy and Walter Johnson (Fr. – Minnetonka, MN) both recorded RBI doubles to the outfield for a two-run half inning. The Blue Devils tallied nine runs in the 6th and 7th innings to end in the game in the 7th, 16-3. Charley Griffin (Jr. – River Falls, WI) came in for relief and pitched four innings allowing three hits, three runs, and struck out three batters.
The Blugolds (6-8, WIAC 1-3) will be back in River Falls on tomorrow, April 3rd for a rematch doubleheader against UW-Stout. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11AM.
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