EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Stout Blue Devils (5-12, 4-4) showcased their offensive prowess on Sunday, April 6, sweeping rival UW-Eau Claire (6-12, 0-8) in a conference doubleheader at Carson Park. The Blue Devils secured a 12-8 victory in the opener before erupting for a 25-4 win in game two, tying a school record for margin of victory in a conference game and scoring the most runs in a game since 2010.
Game 1: UW-Stout 12, UW-Eau Claire 8
UW-Stout jumped out to an early lead and held off a late rally from UW-Eau Claire to claim a 12-8 win in a nine-inning thriller. The Blue Devils struck first in the top of the first when
Kevin Zanin scored on an RBI single from
Leyten Bowers, who finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. The second inning proved pivotal, as UW-Stout plated four runs, fueled by
Austin Miller's two-RBI double and a pair of Eau Claire errors.
The Blue Devils built a commanding 8-1 lead by the sixth, with
Colin Hageman (3-for-5, one RBI) and
AJ Kargel (2-for-6, two RBI) contributing key hits. Eau Claire mounted a comeback in the seventh, scoring six runs. However, UW-Stout responded with three runs in the eighth, including
Michael Pustelnik's pinch-hit two-RBI single, and added an insurance run in the ninth.
Treysen Witt earned the win (2-0), tossing five innings and allowing one run on two hits.
Quintin Gonzalez closed it out with a scoreless ninth.
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Game 2: UW-Stout 25, UW-Eau Claire 4
Game two turned into a historic rout as UW-Stout exploded for 25 runs on 18 hits, demolishing UW-Eau Claire 25-4 in seven innings. The 21-run margin of victory tied a school record set against UW-Superior in 1984, while the 25 runs marked the most scored by Stout in a conference game since a 26-run outburst against UW-Superior in 1996.
The Blue Devils wasted no time, scoring five runs in the first inning alone.
Justin Sedin (3-for-4, four RBI) drove in a run with a single, followed by
Austin Miller's RBI single and
AJ Kargel's two-run double.
Jack Redwine capped the frame with a two-run single. The onslaught continued with two runs in the second, four in the third, and five-run outbursts in the fourth and fifth innings.
Austin Miller (3-for-5, three RBI) and
AJ Kargel (2-for-2, three RBI) each homered, while
Billy Jones added a three-run homer.
Sedin's solo homer in the fifth and
Brandt Puzak's two-run double in the sixth highlighted the relentless attack. UW-Stout's pitching was equally dominant, with Miller (1-3) earning the win after allowing four runs over four innings, striking out seven.
Jackson Gugel and
Ryan Kelly combined for three scoreless relief innings. Blue Devil batters worked 11 walks and were hit by pitch six times. 11 players recorded at least one hit and 10 players scored a run.
Up Next
The Blue Devils will travel to Rivers Falls, Wis. on Wednesday April 9 for a midweek doubleheader with the Falcons. First pitch from First National Bank of River Falls Field is set for 1 p.m.
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