Stout last inning rally against Bethel comes up just short

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  | Bethel University 9, UW-Stout 8 | Robert Morris University 3, UW-Stout 1

MARION, Ill (March 9, 2014) -Trailing by seven heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, UW-Stout put on a furious rally but came up just short, dropping the first game of the day, 9-8, to Bethel Univesity, Sunday at Rent One Park. The Blue Devils had little offensive firepower left for the second game of the day, losing 3-1 to Robert Morris University.

Trailing to the Royals 9-2 with a half inning remaining, Charlie Meyer (Jr, Janesville) got things going with a single. Kasey Kruse (Jr, Boycevile) was hit by a pitch and Colin Pechacek (Jr, River Falls) loaded the bases by drawing a walk. Noah Brown (Fr, Forest Lake, Minn) hit into a fielder's choice to score Meyer that forced out Pechacek. With runners on the corners, Jared Francois (Sr, Burlington) doubled down the left field line to score Kruse. Jack Schneider (Jr, Minneapolis, Minn) loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch.

Following a Bethel pitching change, Brady Burzynski (So, Eau Claire) drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Aaron Littman (So, Pittsville) loaded the bases back up with a walk.

Another Bethel (2-1)  pitching change, and Ryan Freitag (Fr, Osseo) drew a walk to drive in a run and the score was 9-6. Meyer, making his second plate appearance of the inning, drew a walk to force in a run to make it 9-7. Stout got their final run when Kruse drew a bases loaded walk. Pechacek hit into a fielder's choice to end end the game.

In all, Stout sent 12 to the plate in the inning, scoring six runs on two hits, no errors and five walks.

To say the game did not start well for the Blue Devils (1-3) would be an understatement. Blue Devil pitcher Adam Widder (Jr, Wauwatosa) hit the first batter he faced and Bethel went on to score four runs in the first inning, highlighted by Matt Conrad's two-run triple.

Bethel scored a single run in the fourth inning. Stout was held hitless until the bottom of the fourth when Littman reached on an infield single and Freitag singled, but was thrown out trying to stretch the single to a double. Littman was brought home when Meyer hit his first home run of the season.

Bethel scored a solo run in the fifth, then put Stout in a bigger hole with a three-run seventh.

In the final game of the day for Stout against NAIA opponent Robert Morris University (6-4), Stout's only hit of the game came on a Freitag solo home run to give Stout a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Freitag was 1-for-1 in the game, but drew three walks.

Tim Delany hit a two-run triple in the fifth and Tim Blaha singled in another run in the inning as Robert Morris scored all three of their  runs in the fifth inning.

Brett Steinwagner (Fr, Hudson)  took the loss for Stout, going four innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out one.

Stout is off until they head to Fort Meyers, Fla., to play seven games against fellow NCAA Division III opponents, along with an exhibition game with the Minnesota Twins rookie team, March 15-20.