Travis Tuschen entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch runner and on a Steve Considine bunt slid in under the tag of Aurora catcher Ryan Payne as the region's top-seeded UW-Stevens Point baseball team (33-8) won the 2011 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional opening game 3-2 over the Spartans.
The Pointers advance to face the looser of the third game of the day between St. Scholastica (35-5) and Hamline (28-13). That game will take place Thursday, May 19 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Prucha Field.
Senior right-hander Scott Williams (11-2) recorded the victory and in the process set the new school record for wins in a career with 27. Williams threw all 10.0 innings, striking out 12 and scattering six hits.
The Spartans took the early 2-0 lead in the second inning, plating both their runs with two outs in the frame.
UWSP answered in the home half of the fifth, thanks to a lead-off single by Casey Barnes, who came around to score on an Eric Fritz fielders choice, and a RBI single from Dan Douglas that scored Fritz.
Deadlocked at 2-2, neither team was able to put a runner in scoring position in regulation. In extras, Williams threw a 1-2-3 inning in the 10th to send the Pointers to the plate. Jared Surman led off the 10th with a double to right center and a Fritz single advanced runners to the corners with no outs. After Fritz stole second, Considine laid down the bunt that brought Tuschen in under the tag and gave UWSP the win.
Barnes finished as the only player with two hits. Douglas, Fritz and Considine drove in the three runs for the Pointers.