Eagles use big innings to sweep Blue Devils

UW-La Crosse 9, UW-Stout 3 | UW-La Crosse 5, UW-Stout 0

LA CROSSE (April 22, 2017) - UW-La Crosse used big innings in both games to sweep UW-Stout Saturday at Copeland Park, 9-3, 5-0.
 
The Eagles (15-12, 4-6 WIAC) used two big innings to down the Blue Devils (6-19, 3-7 WIAC) in game one.
 
La Crosse took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth inning before Stout cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth. Joel Hollow, who went 3-for-4 in the game, smacked a single to center field, then stole second. Hollow came home on Ryan Connor's center field single.
 
But the Eagles got the run back, and then more, in the bottom of the inning, tallying three runs. Nick Pescheck opened the inning with a double. It seemed like he would be stranded at second after the next two batters flied out to center field. But Joel Zyhowski's double plated Pescheck. Carter Hoffman hit a two-run home  to make the score 5-1.
 
Stout rallied for a pair of runs in the eighth inning. Jordan Wilson opened with a triple, then scored on Holow's double. Connor greeted a new pitcher by driving a single up the middle, scoring Hollow and the Blue Devils trailed 5-3.
 
The two-run deficit was stretched to 9-3 when the Eagles scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. Pescheck drove in two runs and Alex Robson and Sam Prissel each had an RBI as the Eagles laced five hits in the inning.
 
Stout punched out nine hits to the Eagles' 14. Both teams left several runners on base; the Blue Devils eight and the Eagles 13. 
 
Hollow had three hits and Connor two, along with two RBI. Pescheck led La Crosse, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Hoffman had three RBI, going 2-for-4. Zyhowski, the leadoff hitter, was 2-for-6 and scored twice. Eight of the Eagles' starters had at least one hit.
 
In the nightcap, the Eagles used a decisive four-run seventh inning to seal the deal – that and allowing only three Blue Devil hits. Kyle Hamliton was 2-for-3 for the Blue Devils. Jon Krueger had the other hit.
 
The Eagles scored one run in the bottom of the fifth, but exploded for four runs in the seventh. Zyhowski plated two with a single to right, then Zyhowski came home on Hoffman's double. A wild pitch scored the final run.

Hoffman was 2-for-4 for La Crosse and Zyhowski had two RBI.

The teams will meet again Sunday, April 23 with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.