Blue Devils split on final day of spring break trip

UW-Stout 10, Westfield State 2 | SUNY-Geneseo 5, UW-Stout 4

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 16, 2018) - UW-Stout completed the most successful spring break trip by splitting on the final day of the annual event, downing Westfield State University, 10-2, in the opener Friday, but getting edged 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh by SUNY-Geneseo at Hancock Park.

After breezing past Westfield State in six innings, the Blue Devils (10-2) met a much tougher foe in the Knights (10-2) from Geneseo. 

The Blue Devils were forced to play catch-up throughout the game, a position the team had not found themselves in througout the week after winning the previous three games in less than seven innings. 

Geneseo jumped on the Blue Devils for three runs in the bottom of the third as the Knights touched Blue Devil starter Beth Wood for four hits. Knights' pitcher Taylor Moore plated the first runner with a single to left center, then Kylie Papagelos looped a two-run double to give Geneseo a 3-0 lead.

The Blue Devils answered back in the top of the fourth when Kyncaide Diedrich smacked a home run, her second of the week, this one a two-run dinger to left center field. Diedrich would figure into Stout's third run, which came in the fifth inning, to tie the game.  Mary Iliopoulos sliced a single down the right field line. Diedrich put Iliopoulos in scoring position by moving her with a sacrifice bunt. Rachel Thomas tied the score when her single plated Iliopoulos with a single.

Stout surrendered the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Geneseo took advantage of two Stout errors and scored on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.

Stout left a runner stranded in the sixth, but tied the game in the top of the seventh. Iliopoulos reached on an infield hit,then came home on Diedrich's double. Diedrich moved to third on the play to the plate. Diedrich was thrown out at the plate on Wood's fielder's choice to second base.

The Knights put their first two runners on in the seventh when Papagelos singled, followed by Danni Napoli's double, which put Papagelos on third. Papagelos came home on a squeeze bunt by Anna Merante to end the game.

Stout was out-hit for only the second time during the spring break trip. Geneseo recorded 12 hits to nine for Stout. Papagelos was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead all players. Merante and Taylro Fedor  were both 2-for-3. Seven on the Knights who batted recorded at least one hit and Papagelos, Napoli and Fedor each smacked a double.

Diedrich was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a runs scored for Stout. Iliopoulos was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, scoring all three times she reached base. Wood, who absorbed her first loss of the season, was 2-for-4, with a triple.

Wood went the distance, allowing all 12 hits and four earned runs. She allowed no walks and had one strikeout. Moore's pitching line was similar to Wood's, going the distance, allowing nine hits, with four earned runs and no walks or strikeouts.

Katelyn Schobert highlighted a 14-hit performance by the Blue Devils, lacing not only her first collegiate grand slam, but her first collegiate home run, lifting the bases-loaded pitch to left center field to give Stout a 4-0 lead in a five-run second inning. A double by Rachel Thomas, who brought home Diedrich.

Stout added four runs in the third. Renee Murphy crushed a two-run home run and Diedrich drove in two runs with single up the middle to give Stout a 9-0 lead.

Westfield scored twice in the fourth inning to pull to within seven runs and stave off elimination after five innings. Westfield stranded two runners on in the sixth inning.

Stout ended the game in the bottom the third. Jenna Nyhouse was awarded the honors when her double between first and second brought home Thomas, who had led off with a single. The hit was Nyhouse's first collegiate hit.

Eight Blue Devils recorded at least one hit, with Murphy leading the way by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Schobert was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a collegiate-best four RBI. Diedrich, Thomas and starting pitcher Melea Bruns each recorded two hits.

Bruns went 5.2 innings, giving up eight hits and two runs, one earned. She struck out three. 

Stout returns to action Saturday, March 24 when they travel to Lake Forest College for a doubleheader. The team will meet Concordia-Chicago and Elmhurst College, Sunday, March 25 in River Forest, Ill.