After bottom of ninth loss, Blue Devils bounce back to earn split with Eagles

UW-La Crosse 6, UW-Stout 5 | UW-Stout 12, UW-La Crosse 6

LA CROSSE (April 23, 2021) - After suffering a heartbreaking bottom-of-the-ninth inning 6-5 loss in game one, UW-Stout bounced back with some fireworks of their own in the last three innings of the second game to take a 12-6 win and earn a split with UW-La Crosse Friday at Copeland Park.

In the opener, Stout had built a two-run lead in the top of the ninth, only to see the victory slip away. The Blue Devils (11-11, 8-8 WIAC) and the Eagles (15-9, 8-8 WIAC) traded leads throughout the second game with four lead changes through the first six inning.

La Crosse scored first with a home run by Brennan Schmitt in the second inning, but left three runners on base. Stout took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on RBIs by Joel Thimsen and Kasey Bass. The Blue Devils doubled their score with a two-run fourth. Dan Deis drove home a run with a groundout and Charlie Szykowny hit an RBI double to give Stout a 4-1 lead. The Eagles made it 4-3 in their half of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Ethan Gerstner and an RBI double by Connor Roesler.

Stout gave themselves a little margin in the fifth inning on Alex Jinkins second home run of the year, a solo shot to left field. But that margin wasn't enough. In the bottom of the fifth, Andrew Rakjovich lifted a three-run home run to left field and La Crosse led 6-5.

Syzkowny tied the score with an RBI single up the middle and Stout took an 8-6 lead in the seventh inning. After Thimsen reached on a lead-off ground rule double, Kasey Bass homered center field and the two trotted home for the two-run lead. 

The Blue Devils gave themselves plenty of cushion with a four-run ninth inning. And they did it after two outs, and took advantage of a La Crosse error. with two outs, Jinkins singled and Riley Boushack reached on an error. Colin Hageman drove in Jinkins with a left field single, and Justin Schnell ripped his first collegiate home run, a three-run shot to center field.

Alex Mahaz, who came on for starter Ethan Kjellberg in the bottom of the sixth, made quick work of La Crosse to eventually get the win. Mahaz gave up three hits, and not more than one in any single inning, and threw four scoreless innings to earn the win to run his record to 2-0. 

Stout ripped 15 hits, their most hits in a single game this season, with six players garnering at least two hits and eight players getting at least one. Hageman was 3 for 5, while Szykowny, Merrill, Thimsen, Bass and Jinkins had two hits. Boushack and Schnell each had a hit. Bass recorded three RBIs, as did Schnell. Stout tagged each of La Crosse's three pitchers with at least four hits apiece. 

The Eagles recorded 13 hits, with Schmitt going 3 for 5 and Shane Coker going 3 for 4. Roesler was 2 for 5. 

In the opening game, Stout built up a 3-0 lead, only to see the Eagles tie the game with a run in the seventh inning and two runs in the eighth inning. But Stout came back to grab the lead back with a two-run ninth, only to see the Eagles storm back to score three runs and carry out the 6-5 win.

Stout's Charlie Szykowny opened the scoring with his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field in the third inning. The Blue Devils added two run in the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead, and did it with two outs. Szykowny singled to right center, then came home on Hunter Merrill's home run to dead center field. 

The Eagles cut into the lead in the seventh inning on an RBI single by the Brennan Schmitt. La Crosse tied the game in the eighth inning on a two run double by pinch hitter Andrew Rajkovich. 

Stout came back in the top of the ninth to regain the lead. Riley Boushack opened with an infield single and Colin Hageman drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Paul Weise singled off the center field wall to score Boushack and move Hageman to third. Dan Deis' sacrifice bunt to first base gave Stout a 5-3 lead when he pushed Hageman home. 

The Eagles scored three runs in the ninth inning. Schmitt drove in two runs with a single to right field. Shane Coker sliced a single down the right field line to score Schmitt and give La Crosse the win.

Szykowny and Merrill were both  2 for 5 to lead Stout, which finished with eight hits. Johnathan Wizner, Zach Carney, Schmitt and Mac Born each had two hits for the Eagles, with Schmitt driving in three of the Eagles' six runs. 

Stout's Cody Urban went 8.0 innings, scattering eight hits, while allowing three earned runs, with four walks and four strikeouts, but did not figure into the decision. Alex Mach got the win in relief for La Crosse, working 4.0 innings, striking out four and giving up two earned runs.

The two teams will meet Saturday, April 24 in Menomonie in non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Nelson Field.