Blue Devils close out spring break trip with loss to Plattsburgh

SUNY-Plattsburgh 10, UW-Stout 7

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 17, 2018) - UW-Stout took a 7-4 lead into the eighth inning, but four errors doomed the Blue Devils as SUNY-Plattsburgh took advantage of the miscues and took a 10-7 win in the final spring break game for both teams Saturday at Terry Park..

The Blue Devils (3-8) committed four errors in the eighth inning and allowed the Cardinals (6-6) to score six unearned runs in the eighth to turn the tide. The Blue Devils had double play opportunities a couple of times that would have allowed them to get out of the inning, but could not turn the play.

The Stout offense - and defense - started out strong. The Blue Devils opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first when Jack Hemsath stretched his hittimg streak to nine games when he doubled home Danny Deis, who had drawn a bases loaded walk. 

After Plattsburgh tied the scored in the top of the third, Stout punched out four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Deis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Jon Krueger singled. Hemsath drove in Deis with a single. The Blue Devils loaded the bases and Reid Akerman got the RBI when he was hit by a pitch. Ben Vanhove's fielder's choice scored Hemsath and Jared Jarensivu brought home Joel Thimsen with a sacrifice fly and Stout had a 5-1 lead.

The Cardinals cut the lead to 5-4 with a three-run fifth inning, getting a two-run double from Kentaro Mori and an RBI single by Stephen Bryant.

Stout added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Thimsen hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Kyle Hamilton hit an RBI double in the seventh before the bottom fell out for the Blue Devils. 

Two infield errors within the first three batters started the slide down as Plattsburgh sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, swinging the score and the momentum, taking the 10-7 lead, the eventual final score.

Stout had a chance in the ninth inning, but stranded two batters.

Jon Krueger had three hits to lead Stout, going 3-for-4. Jack Hemsath extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Thimsen went hitless, but had two RBI. Stout finished with eight hits to 13 for Plattsburgh. 

For the Cardinals, Mori was 2-for-5 with five RBI. Stephen Bryant was 3-for-5 with two RBI and Mike Anufrak was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. .

Luke Eide got the start, but did not figure into the decision, scattering seven hits  over six innings and four earned runs with a strikeout and the lone walk given up by Stout pitchers. Wyatt Ernstmeyer was saddled with the loss, surrendering four hits, but six unearned runs. Brad Rindfleisch finished the game, getting a pair of strikeouts and allowing two hits.

The Cardinals' four pitchers gave up eight walks and notched six strikeouts. All seven runs were earned as Plattsburgh was not charged with an error, while Stout finished with a season-high five errors. The Cardinals' third pitcher, Connor Lyons, was the recipient of the win, going two complete innings with two strikeouts and two walks/

Stout is scheduled to play at the University of St. Thomas, Wednesday, March 21 with a pair of 7-inning games scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the upper 30s and lower 40s this week.