La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned a 10-7 win over UW-Stevens Point in the first game of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III best-of-three Super Regional Friday afternoon at Copeland Park. The Eagles, now 35-10 on the season, will need one win on Saturday, May 27 to earn a bid to the NCAA III Championships June 2-8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Pointers drop to 32-13.
Game two of the Super Regional is set for Saturday, May 27 at 11 a.m.
UWL, ranked 13th on D3baseball.com, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Friday. Jordan Williams hit the first pitch of the game for a home run to make it 1-0. Logan Pye followed with a single and advanced to second after Anthony Vivian was hit-by-pitch with one out. After a fielder's choice. Ty Hamilton's infield single scored Pye to give UWL a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles added to their lead in the top of the second. Jack Moran singled with one out and went to second after Williams was hit-by-pitch. Jack Olver later hit a two-out single to score Moran to make it 3-0 with Williams moving to third and Olver to second on the throw. Vivian walked to load the bases and Tim Urlaub's two-run single knocked in Williams and Olver for a 5-0 lead.
UW-Stevens Point, ranked 15th on the D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll, cut the lead to 5-4 with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the second. Kamden Oliver walked to start the inning and went to second on Anthony Tomczak's single. Logan Homolka reached on a fielder's choice with Tomczak out on the play and Oliver moving to third. Trent Van Ess followed with an infield single to score Oliver with the Pointers' first run of the game. Logan Matson grounded out for the second out as Homolka went to third and Van Ess to second on the play. Jakob Boos then tripled to knock in both runners to cut the lead to 5-3. Payton Nelson followed with a RBI single to score Boos to make it 5-4.
UWL's George Seaman hit a solo home run in the top of the third to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead. The Pointers took their first lead of the game in the bottom in the inning. Homolka doubled to start the inning and Matson was hit-by-pitch with one out. After Boos struck out, Nelson delivered a two-out three-run home run to give UW-Stevens Point a 7-6 lead.
The game remained 7-6 until the top of the eighth. UWL's Chris VandenHeuvel reached on a throwing error to start the inning. After a strikeout and pop-out, pinch-hitter Mac Born hit a two-run home run to right center field to give the Eagles an 8-7 lead.
UW-Stevens Point loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth. Homolka singled to lead-off and went to third on Boos' two-out double. UWL intentionally walked Nelson to load the bases and Tucker Bouche got Bradley Comer on a pop-out to end the inning.
UWL added a pair of runs in the top of the ninth. Hamilton doubled and went to third on a UW-Stevens Point throwing error as Seaman reached safely. After a pair of pair of strikeouts, Williams' infield single knocked in Hamilton with an unearned run to make it 9-7. Born followed with a single to score Seaman and a 10-7 lead.
Caleb Matl retired UW-Stevens Point in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season. Bouche (4-0) earned the win for UWL, going 2.1 innings in relief. He allowed two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Isaiah Katz started for the Eagles, pitching 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits, seven runs and one walk while striking out five.
UWL finished with 15 hits in Friday's win as all nine starters recorded at least one. Hamilton went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI while Williams finished 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Olver was 2-for-6 with one run and one RBI while Born went 2-for-2 with one run and three RBI.
Mason Weckler (6-2) suffered the loss for UW-Stevens Point. He went 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, two runs (both unearned) and one walk with four strikeouts. Casey Pickering started for the Pointers, going 2.0 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs and one walk with two strikeouts. UW-Stevens Point used five pitchers.
UW-Stevens Point totaled 11 hits with Nelson finishing 3-for-4 with one run, one walk and four RBI. Boos was 3-for-5 with one run and two RBI while Homolka finished 3-for-4 with two runs.