Appleton, Wis. (5/25/13) – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point rallied for three runs in their half of the eighth and held on for a 4-3 win over the Kean University baseball team in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Saturday evening.
The Cougars (39-12) fall into the elimination bracket and will square off against Ithaca College at 3:30 p.m. CDT on Sunday. Kean faced Ithaca in the regular season during their spring break trip to California, topping the Bombers, 12-10. With the win, Stevens Point will face Linfield College on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. local time in the winners bracket.
Six out of the last seven wins for Stevens Point have been by just a single run.
In today's action, it was the Pointers taking an early 1-0 lead in the first with a one out, RBI single. Kean tied it up in the bottom of the third as junior Joe O'Connor scored by stealing home after leading off the inning on a walk.
The Cougars then took the lead with a single run in the as Kean rallied with two outs. Rookie Ryan Kelley and junior Nick Zucchero worked walks followed by an infield single off the bat of D.J. Ross. That loaded the bases for freshman Matt Meleo who singled up the middle, driving in the go-ahead run. Kean then added another in the fifth as O'Connor produced a two out single up the middle, driving in Tyler Smarslok, who reached via a leadoff walk, putting the score at 3-1.
The score would remain that way until the top of the eighth when the Pointers (41-9) for three runs and three hits with one Cougar miscue. The big blow came with runners on second and third with two outs, as leadoff hitter Dan Douglas lined a single up the middle, scoring the tying and go-ahead runs.
Sophomore Charles Thielmann suffered the loss in his third straight complete game effort. Thielmann (10-3) allowed four runs, two earned, with 11 hits and six strikeouts. JP Feyereisen picked up the win for Stevens Point allowing three runs, two earned, and five hits. Feyereisen (7-2) walked seven and struck out three. Luke Watson earned a two inning save, his sixth of the season.
