FORT MYERS, Fla. – Monday at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic was an offensive struggle for the Edgewood College baseball team. The Eagles scored just three runs in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of UW-Stout. The Blue Devils took the first game 6-1 and followed up with an 8-2 victory in the second game.
Edgewood College (0-4) put runners on base in each of the first two innings, but the Blue Devils got on the board first. A Nick Nalbach home run highlighted a three-run third inning to put UW-Stout (4-1) ahead 3-0. The Blue Devils added another run in the fourth and two more in the fifth on Kasey Kruse's two-run single.
The Eagles lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning courtesy of a solo home run by Jacob Yellovich. The blast to left field was the junior's first career home run for the Eagles.
Edgewood College starting pitcher Blake Bieri lasted into the fourth inning, before being replaced by Elijah Roche. Bieri allowed four earned runs and struck out four in his first start of the season. Roche pitched 3.1 innings making his collegiate debut near his hometown of Lehigh Acres, Fla. Danny Appino and Pat Manning both went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Eagles to account for half of the team's eight hits.
In the second game, the Eagles gained the early lead in the top of the first inning. Zack Creekmore walked and moved over to second on Appinio's sacrifice. After Lauritzen moved Creekmore to third with an infield single, Creekmore scored on a wild pitch from UW-Stout starting pitcher Hayden Bowe.
However, UW-Stout seized control with a four-run second inning, with the big blow being a two-run single from Nalbach. The Blue Devils opened the lead up to 8-1, scoring twice in both the fifth and sixth innings. Edgewood College got a run back in the seventh on a Brad Clark RBI single that scored Alex Fowler, who had also singled.
Adam Eck made his career debut on the mound for Edgewood College, striking out four Blue Devils and allowing four earned runs on three hits. Alex Meister, AJ Verahge and Appino pitched the rest of the game for the Eagles. No Edgewood College hitter had more than two of the Eagles' five hits for the game.
Edgewood College will be back in action on Tuesday morning for a doubleheader against Plymouth State University, which begins at 9:00 am eastern time.