DAVENPORT, Fla.. – No. 7 Wisconsin University-La Crosse baseball scored 13 runs over the final four innings to erase a two-run deficit and come away with a 14-4 victory over Wheaton College (Mass.) this morning at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The game was halted in the bottom of the eighth inning due to the 10-run mercy rule as mandated by the Invitational.
The Lyons drop to 1-3 on the season, while the Eagles, who are ranked in the most recent D3baseball.com national poll, improve to 2-1.
Wisconsin-La Crosse registered 13 hits and took advantage of a pair of Wheaton errors to fuel its comeback win. The Lyons opened a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning after scoring twice in the third and once in the fifth to bookend a single run from UWL in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Eagles rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fifth and scored four runs in both the sixth and eighth innings to settle the game in their favor by double-digits.
Junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) blasted a solo home run to go with two runs scored and first year designated hitter Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) ripped an RBI double to lead Wheaton's offense. Senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) finished the day going 2-4 at the plate. Sophomore lefty reliever Evan Mello (New Bedford, Mass.) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk. Junior starting southpaw Josh Fischer (Hopkinton, Mass.) did not give up a hit and faced just two hitters over the minimum, but yielded two runs (oen earned) and issued two free passes in addition to fanning three batters for the Lyons.
Junior designated hitter Mac Born (Chaska, Minn.) powered UWL's offensive attack with a 2-4 effort that produced four RBI and included a home run, while junior center fielder Nate Witte (Woodbury, Minn.) smacked a pair of doubles from the leadoff spot and knocked in two runs to go with three runs scored and a walk. Senior catcher Tim Urlaub (Burnsville, Minn.) was 3-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored and senior shortstop Jack Moran (Chicago, Ill.) stole a pair of bases, scored three times, and drove in a run to go with a walk. Junior left-hander Mitchel Fassbender (Wauwatosa, Wis.) picked up the win in relief to improve to 1-0 for the Eagles, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out five in three and a third innings.
Wisconsin-La Crosse entered the bottom of the fifth facing a 3-1 margin, before putting up five runs to take the lead for good at 6-3. Junior left fielder Anthony Vivian (Dodgeville, Wis.) drew a four-pitch leadoff walk and Urlaub ripped a double down the line to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Junior second baseman Logan Pye (Wilmot, Wis.) hit a ground ball to third that was not handled by Wheaton, allowing both runners to score to knot the game at 3-3. Right fielder Chris VandenHeuvel (Neenah, Wis.) followed with a triple to center field and just like that the Eagles owned a 4-3 edge. Moran worked a walk and stole second to put runners on second and third for the second time in the inning. Sophomore relief pitcher Matthew Fais (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) looked to limit any further damage coming into the ballgame to get a pair of strikeouts, but junior third baseman Jack Olver (De Forest, Wis.) delivered a two-run double to center field to increase the UWL lead to 6-3.
The Eagles picked up where they left off with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-3 advantage. Moran came through with a two-out RBI single, before Witte followed with a two-run double down the left field line to give Wisconsin-La Crosse a six-run cushion. Born continued the hit parade with two outs, dumping a single into center field to drive in the 10th run of the day for UWL.
The Lyons' bats were quiet after a run in the fifth, but showed life in the eighth with another run to cut the deficit to 10-4. Sophomore catcher Collin Reilly (Marshfield, Mass.) pulled a double down the left field line to lead off the frame and moved to third on a ground out, before first year pinch-hitter Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) drew a walk in his first collegiate at-bat to put runners on the corners with one out. Senior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) brought home Reilly with the fourth run on a ground out to second. Lamond took third base on a wild pitch and senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) worked a walk, but sophomore righty reliever Jake Clauson (Rogers, Minn.) was able to escape without further consequences with a strikeout to end the inning.
The Eagles scored four runs in the eighth to end the game with two outs in the inning. Moran led off the frame with a bunt single to the left of the pitcher, stole second and came around to score ahead of a Witte double to left center field. Born made it a 13-4 game with a two-run blast over the left field fence and UWL scored the final run when junior pinch-hitter Tanner Marsh (Mondovi, Wis.) drew a walk, stole second and Urlaub ended the game with a single to left center.
Wheaton opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. Ambrosone drew a leadoff walk and Wagner reached on a fielder's choice to set up a two-run double down the right field line off the bat of Wensley to give the Lyons a two-run advantage.
The Eagles cut the margin in half with a run in the bottom of the fourth when Witte opened the frame with a walk, scampered around the bases to end up on third base following a failed pick-off attempt and scored on a Born sacrifice fly to center field.
Wheaton quickly got the run back with one swing of the bat from Wagner that resulted in his first round tripper of the year over the fence in left center.
The Lyons return to action tomorrow when they travel to Saint Leo, Fla. to play Webster University for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch at Saint Leo University, while UWL returns to Davenport to play No. 10 Rowan University at 2:45 p.m.
