UW-Stout 9, UW-Platteville 8 |
UW-Platteville 17, UW-Stout 12
MENOMONIE (May 8, 2021) - Everything was going UW-Stout's way - until it wasn't and the Blue Devils split the final doubleheader of the week, a non-conference doubleheader, with UW-Platteville Saturday at Wakanda Park. After taking an early lead, Stout had to work hard to take a 9-8 first game win, then lost a slugfest with the Pioneers, 17-12.
In the opener,
Logan Hile threw six innings of shutout ball, allowing only one hit over the first first six innings. Hile got into a jam in the seventh inning and gave up four hits and three runs in the inning. Hile finished the game with five hits and three earned runs. He struck out five, but did not figure into the decision.
Stout (17-17) scored a run in the first inning, then added another on
Kasey Bass's RBI double in the third. The Blue Devils got RBIs by
JD Prescher,
Justin Schnell and
Charlie Szykowny in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. Two more runs in the sixth game Stout a comfortable 7-0 lead.
Hile pretty much owned the Pioneers (15-21) through the first six innings, facing the minimum in five of those innings. He allowed a hit in the second inning, but a line shot to second baseman
Levi Wilson turned into double play. A lead off error in the fourth was the only other base runner until the seventh inning, and the seventh started off well for Hile with a groundout and a strikeout seemed to bode well for the senior. But in succession, the Pioneers hit a single, two doubles and single to score three runs and Hile's day was over. with Stout leading 7-3.
The Pioneers struck again after two outs in the eighth, this time on a Jonathan Kelso home run and an RBI double by Wyatt Molitor.to pull to within 7-5. Stout took an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth when Szykowny led off with a double, advanced to second on a flyout, then scored on Bass' sacrifice fly. The Pioneers scored three runs in the ninth inning, including two runs with two outs when an infield error allowed the runs to score.
In the ninth, it was Stout's turn to try to score with two outs. Szykowny rapped a two-out double to center field, stole third base, then scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
Luke Kallod came on with the score tied in the top of the ninth with two outs and whiffed one batter looking to earn the win.
The two teams combined to score 29 runs and 31 hits in the second game and the teams traded leads. Platteville wracked up 16 hits to 15 for the Blue Devils.
Platteville jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in each the first and second innings. Stout added two runs in the second, but Platteville got those back in the top of the third. Stout scored three runs in the third on a RBI single by Bass and a two-run home run by
Hunter Merrill. Stout added four runs in the fourth to take a 9-6 lead. The Pioneers grabbed the lead back in a big way with an eight-run fifth inning and Stout never really recovered.
The bats for both teams were hot. Bass was 4 for 4 with five RBI and smacked two home runs. Merrill was 3 for 4 with four RBI and was a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Szykowny and
Reese Vold had two hits. For the Pioneers, Jonathan Kelso was 3 for 5 with five RBI, including a home run. Ben Espinoza was 3 for 4 and scored four runs. Jake Wegner, Andrew Zakula and Joe Brickey each had two hits. The Pioneers finished with 16 hits to Stout's 15.
Szykowny had four doubles on the day, two in each game, to break the school single season record for doubles. He now has 19 doubles on the season. Jack Schneider hit 17 doubles during the 2014 season.
Today's games were played at Wakanda Park, the first time Stout has played at the North Menomonie field since 2001. The park was Stout's home diamond up until the mid-1970s.
Stout will close out the regular season when they host Finlandia University, Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15.
