UW-Stout 9, St. Thomas 2 |
UW-Stout 7, St. Thomas 1
MENOMONIE (May 2, 2019) – If the UW-Stout baseball season did indeed come to a close Thursday, at least it will be on a positive note as the Blue Devils recorded a 9-2, 7-1, non-conference sweep over St. Thomas at Nelson Field to run their winning streak to six games.
Stout's season could continue if they earn a berth in the WIAC tournament, but they will need help. Stout has concluded conference play, but could pull ahead of either UW-Oshkosh or UW-Platteville to earn the fourth seed. The Titans and Pioneers meet this weekend. Stout would advance if Oshkosh sweeps the four-game series, or if Platteville would win at least three of the four games.
The Blue Devils (20-15) closed the regular season with 20 wins, their first 20-win season since 2014, doubling last season's win totals. The wins also assured Stout of their first plus-.500 season since the 2007 season.
St. Thomas (17-14) took the lead in the first inning in both games, but the Blue Devils answered back in both games. Stout allowed two runs in the first inning of the first game, but used a five run push in the bottom half of the inning to switch the momentum. The Tommies took a 1-0 lead in the second game, but Stout tied the game in the bottom of the first inning and held St. Thomas scoreless the rest of the way.
In the opener, Stout used four hits in the first inning.
Kyle Hamilton drove home a pair of runs,
Tim Bott recorded his first RBI of the season – he would add two more in the game - and freshman
Charlie Szykowny smacked a two-run double to give Stout a 5-2 lead.
The Blue Devils added a pair of runs in the third inning when Bott secured his second RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly and Szykowny recorded his third RBI of the contest. Stout added a run in the fourth on
Joel Thimsen's fielder's choice and another run in the sixth when Bott reached on an error but drove in a run.
Jack Donahue recorded the win, scattering seven hits and recording two strikeouts over six innings of work. Szykowny was 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead Stout.
Kasey Bass,
Danny Deis and Kyle Hamliton each had two hits.
In the nightcap,
Casey Ryan recorded his fourth consecutive win, going five innings, allowing five hits and the one earned run. Ryan struck out three.
After the Tommies took a 1-0 lead in the first, the Blue Devils tied the game in the bottom of the inning on
Jack Hemsath's RBI double. Stout made it 2-1 in the third inning.
Jordan Wilson led off with a single, then stole second and, following an out, stole third. Wilson came home on Hemsath's sacrifice fly to center field.
Stout added three runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of three Tommie errors. The Blue Devils closed out the day with a two-run sixth inning when
Reid Akerman punched a two-run triple to centerfield.
Senior pitcher
Brad Rindfleisch made his final home appearance, pitching the final inning, not allowing a hit, in part thanks to Szykowny who bare-handed a ball and recorded the second out of the inning. Rindfleisch recorded one strikeout.
Logan Langbehn pitched the inning before Rindfleisch, getting all three batters.
The Tommies made an uncharacteristically high seven errors over the two games, and Stout made them pay – especially
Jordan Wilson. The Blue Devil senior captain's final two-game line did not look impressive, 1-for-7, but Wilson reached base five times, three times on infield errors to the left side and another with a walk. Wilson stole four bases, two in each game, to bring his season total to 13 and scored once in each game.
The Blue Devils outhit the Tommies in both games, 7-5 in the opener, and 12-7 in the second game.
Stout will have to wait until Saturday to find out if they advance to the WIAC tournament for the first time since the 2014 season.
