Blue Devils take second game from 17th-ranked Pointers to earn a split

UW-Stevens Point 6, UW-Stout 3 | UW-Stout 8, UW-Stevens Point 3

RIVER FALLS (April 16, 2022) - Jack Schirpke drove in three runs in a second game win as UW-Stout split a doubleheader with 17th-ranked UW-Stevens Point on a sunny, but cold and windy afternoon at First National Bank of River Falls Field Saturday. The Pointers won the first game 6-3, but the Blue Devils came back to win the second, 8-3.

It was not a power game for the Blue Devils, but a nickel-and-dime game as Stout (15-9, 10-4 WIAC) outscored Stevens Point (18-4, 9-3 WIAC) 6-0 in the final four innings.

The Pointers took the lead in the first inning, drawing a bases loaded walk, but Stout tied the score in the second when Parker Hagebock hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Colin Hageman after the Blue Devils loaded the bases. Stevens Point grabbed the lead back in the third on an attempted double steal. The Blue Devils caught the Pointers' Bradley Comer at second but Parker Nelson came home on the play. Stevens Point extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning.

Stout pulled to within one run on a sacrifice fly by Schripke in the bottom of the fourth. Schripke tied the game in the sixth inning on a ground out to score Hageman. The Blue Devils took the lead for good on a two run single by Justin Schnell to right field. 

The Blue Devils would score all of their runs without an extra base hit in the game.

Stout scored twice in the seventh inning, on a single by Riley Boushack and an RBI single by Schirpke. Stout added an insurance run in the eighth inning. Schnell drew a lead off walk, went to second on Levi Wilson's sacrifice bunt, moved to third on an error, then came home on Joel Thimsen's sacrifice fly to right field. The Bleu Devils finished the game with three sacrifice flies.

Luke Kallod come on in the relief to pick up his first win of the season, throwing two innings, allowing one hit, striking out two and walking three. Kallod got out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth by forcing a ground out. Quintin Gonzalez pitched the final three innings to pick up his first save as a Blue Devil, striking out three and scattering four hits over the three innings.

In the opener, the Blue Devils trailed 2-0 after the Pointers scored single runs in the first and the third innings, but knotted the score in the bottom of the third. Schirpke hit a one-out double, then came home on TJ Carlson's double to left center. Wilson slammed a double to right to tie the score. 

The Pointers put up a run in the fifth and the seventh and two runs in the ninth. Charlie Szykowny hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth - his 10th home run of the season - for the final 6-3 score.

Stout and Stevens Point were scheduled to play Friday, but those games were postponed. The teams are awaiting confirmation of when those games will be held. The Blue Devils are next scheduled to host UW-La Crosse, Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24.