New York University 17, UW-Stout 6
FORT MEYERS, Fla (March 12, 2017) - It took a while, but UW-Stout did find some offense late in their Florida trip opening game with New York University at the Gene Cusic Classic, but it was too little, too late as the Blue Devils dropped the game, 17-6, Sunday afternoon under clear skies in 80 degree weather.
Stout trailed 13-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh and were on the verge of seeing the game end early due to the 10-run rule when the offense jumped to life in the Florida sun.
Facing a new pitcher, Stout's
Ryan Connor greeted the new man on the mound with a leadoff double.
Kyle Hamilton drew a pinch hit walk. Following a strike out,
Matt Emmer, who come in in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter, drove both Connor and Hamilton home with a left field double.
Noah Brown cleared the bases with a two-run home run, his and Stout's first round tripper of the season, going to deep left field and Stout trailed 14-5.
New York (5-0) got a run back in the top of the eighth, but Stout also scored in the eighth to make it 14-6 when
Tim Bott hit his first career home run, jacking the ball to left field for a solo shot and what would prove to be Stout's final run of the game.
New York added two more runs in the top of the ninth and Stout threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with no outs, but but seeing the game end with a pop up and a double play.
The Blue Devils (2-5) finished the game with 11 hits, their most hits in a single season during this young season. But New York laced three Blue Devil pitchers for 21 hits. New York had at least one hit in seven innings, and multiple hits in six innings. Seven of Stout's 11 hits came in the final three innings.
After going hitless in the first inning, the Violets (yes, that is accurate) colored Blue Devil starter
Max Sires for four hits and three runs in the second inning. The Violets stayed within the lines in the third inning, with four runs on four hits, added three runs on five hits in the fourth and four runs on two hits in the fifth.
Stout's only run during New York's scoring blitz came in the fourth inning when
Jon Krueger, who reached on a one-out double, then moved to third on
Jack Hemsath's infield single and came home on a wild pitch.
Emmer, Brown and Bott each collected two hits for the Blue Devils, with Brown and Bott going 2-for-4 and Emmer 2-for-3. For the Violets, Adrian Spitz was 4-for-5 with three TBI and two runs scored. Colman Hendershot was 4-for-6 with three RIB and three runs scored.
Stout returns to action Monday, March 13 when they play Wisconsin Lutheran College at 9 a.m.
