VERONA, Wis. – The Edgewood College baseball team took out some frustrations and broke out some serious lumber in sweep of Lakeland University at Stampfl Field. The Eagles pounded out 30 hits in winning 14-2 and 21-3 over the Muskies, and extended their winning streak to a season-high three games.
In the opening game, Edgewood College (6-12, 3-3 NACC) posted four runs in the second, with three of them coming on a two-out, bases loaded double by Nik Visone. The Eagles had extended their lead to 7-2 when Callen Gavic broke the game open with a grand slam home run to right field in the sixth inning. It was Gavic's first home run of the season and the third of his career, giving the Eagles an 11-2 lead oner Lakeland University (4-10, 0-4 NACC). Garrett Bogucki and Jeff Tucker added RBI doubles in the seventh to close the scoring.
Nick Cheaney led the Eagles at the plate going 3-for-4 with a double. Casey Willis and Tucker each went 2-for-4, while Ryan Fields was 2-for-3 with a triple. Gavic's grand slam and Visone's three-run triple accounted for seven of the team's 14 runs batted in. Steve Gavin earned the victory, pitching 6.1 innings and striking out eight batters. He allowed just two hits and no earned runs. Erick Wendt picked up two strikeouts in closing the game.
Edgewood College scored every run they would need to win game two in the first inning, exploding for eight runs before the Muskies ever picked up a bat. The first six batters of the game all reached via a single or a walk, but Bryan Sternig delivered the biggest blow with a three-run double to right center field one batter after a Lakeland error on a play that would have ended the inning. The Eagles extended their lead to 16-2 after four innings, with RBI doubles for Casey Willis and Cheaney.
Sternig ended the game 4-for-4 with five runs scored and four runs batted in. He also had a double, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. Cheaney went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and increased his NACC leading batting average to .476. Willis was 3-for-5 with three doubles and two runs batted in. Mason Maziarka pitched six strong innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out five batters. Richie Coughlin needed only four pitches to complete a perfect seventh inning.
The two wins move the Eagles up to a share of sixth place in the NACC standings. Edgewood College will be back at it at Stampfl Field on Wednesday. The Eagles will host Eureka College in a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.
