After explosive start, Blue Devil baseball has to settle for a split

UW-Stout 16, UW-Platteville 2 | UW-Platteville 11, UW-Stout 6

WAUPUN (March 20, 2021) - UW-Stout exploded out of the gates in the first game of the season, downing UW-Platteville 16-2 in seven innings, but then could have used some of that first game fire power as the Pioneers turned the tables on the Blue Devils with an 11-6 win Saturday at Gus Thompson Field in Waupun.

The Blue Devils (1-1) jumped all over the Pioneers early, running out to a 7-0 lead with three runs in the first inning and four in the second. Joel Thimsen played a role in all three of Stout's first inning runs. After Hunter Merrill led off with a single and a Kasey Bass walk, Thimsen singled to right field to score Merrill, moved to third and Bass scored on a double play, then scored on an error. 

Bass drove in a one-out run, Thimsen plated a run on a ground-out and Bass and Charlie Szykowny scored when Levi Wilson reached on an error. The Pioneers pulled to within 7-2 in the bottom of the second inning. Szykowny drove in a run in the fourth. Thimsen scored on a wild pitch and moments later Szykowny came home on a wild pitch.

Stout put the game away in the seventh inning with six runs. Merrill picked up an RBI and Paul Weise scored on a wild pitch. Bass and Szykowny each hit two run home runs to pad the lead. 

Stout's first four batters in the lineup accounted for almost all of the Blue Devils' hits as Merrill, Bass, Thimsen and Szykowny went a combined 12 for 19, drove in nine runs and scored 13 runs. Merrill was 2 for 5, Bass 3 for 4, Thimsen 3 for 5 and Szykowny 4 for 5. 

James Palmer worked six innings to get the win, striking out nine while scattering four hits and allowing two earned runs. Palmer walked none. Alex Foss worked the final inning, allowing one hit. 

Platteville (1-1) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but Stout bounced back to score three runs in the second inning. Stout drew four consecutive walks to open the second inning, with Ryan Herbst drawing a bases loaded free pass to record his first collegiate RBI. Freshman Riley Boushack smacked out a double to score two.

The Pioneers added a run in the fourth inning, then tacked on two more in the sixth. 

Herbst attracted his second bases loaded walk of the game to score Szykowny. Platteville scored three runs on four hits in the seventh inning. Stout drew their third bases loaded walk of the game in the eighth inning when Wilson walked in a run. Stout scored the final run of the when freshman Nolan Harke entered as a pinch hitter and stroked a single to left center and would eventually come in on Thimsen's left field single.

Both teams ran through their pitching staff. Stout used four pitchers while Platteville used six pitchers. 

Stout was limited to four hits, but drew 14 walks. Boushack was  2 for 4 to lead Stout.  The Pioneers pounded out 14 hits. 

The Blue Devils are scheduled to be at UW-La Crosse, Tuesday, March 23, then are scheduled to host UW-Eau Claire, Saturday, March 27.