UWSP opens NCAA Tournament Regional with win

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - UW-Stevens Point got its NCAA Tournament journey off on the right foot Friday, besting Augustana College 6-4 Friday morning in Stevens Point. UWSP is hosting a regional for the second straight year and opened this year’s tournament with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch against the Vikings.

The Pointers struck first offensively in the fourth inning, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Kamden Oliver. Logan Homolka would add another run on an RBI single later in the inning to give UWSP a 3-0 lead.

Augustana responded with a run in the top half of the fifth, but UWSP quickly hushed the uprising. Oliver drove in another run, just missing another homer, with an RBI double. The next at-bat did produce a homer as Brenden Canterbury smashed a two-run bomb to left to give UWSP a 6-1 advantage.

The Vikings never went away. They’d add two more runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, constantly getting runners on the base paths. However, UWSP’s bullpen was able to navigate the baserunners without giving up the lead. Sidney Ferry came on for the ninth inning for the Pointers and picked up the save, sitting the Vikings down in order to win 6-4.

Casey Pickering picked up the win for UWSP, pitching five innings while giving up three runs on six hits. Augustana’s Harrison Boushele was saddled with the loss. Despite the score, the Vikings outhit the Pointers 10-7.

UWSP will now face the winner of Webster and Loras Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at Zimmermann Field. With a win, the Pointers would be just one win away from a Super Regional.

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