Stout 8, Superior 7 | Stout 5, Superior 1
SUPERIOR - Ryan Stace (Sr, Oregon) and Ryan Gilbertson (Jr, River Falls) accounted for all eight runs in the first game as UW-Stout got a much needed sweep of UW-Superior to keep them in the race for a berth in the WIAC tournament. Stout came from behind in the first game for an 8-7 win, then led all of the second game and won, 5-1.
Superior (13-23, 5-15) held a 3-2 lead in the third inning of the first game and a 6-4 lead after six innings before Stout (18-14, 9-11) came back for the 8-7 win.
Gilbertson hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth to plate Brian Giebel (So, River Falls), who had reached on a single, then moved to second on a Stace sacrifice bunt.
Stace hit two two-run home runs in the game, one in the third and one in the sixth. Stace added an RBI double in the seventh inning and, moments later, Gilbertson drove in two runs with a double.
Stace, batting second in the lineup, was 3-for-3 with five RBI and three runs scored and Gilbertson, batting third, was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Giebel, the leadoff hitter, was 3-for-3, drew two walks and scored four runs.
Christopher Lammert (Fr, Merrill) recorded his first collegiate win, pitching 2.2 innings and surrendering only two hits.
In the nightcap, Stout jumped Superior pitching for three runs in the first inning. Greg Smolinski (Jr, Menasha) and Brandon O'Connell (So, Elk Mound) each drove in a run and O'Connell scored when Andy Lorenzen (Sr, Menomonie) reached safely on an error.
Stout scored a run in the fourth on a Giebel single and the Yellowjackets got their only run of the game in the fourth inning. Stout scored the final run of the day in the ninth inning when O'Connell laced a triple to score Smolinski.
Russ Jiskra (Jr, Hudson) went the distance for his first complete game of the season, striking out five and allowing six hits.
O'Connell and Giebel each were 2-for-5 in the game, while Ben Bengtson (So, Warroad, Minn) and Casey Dittel (Fr, Woodbury, Minn) each had two hits in four trips to the plate. Stout outhit the Yellowjackets, 12-6, in the game.
Stout will be at UW-La Crosse, Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, to close out the regular season.
