UWSP puts up 20 runs to advance to Regional Championship

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - The UW-Stevens Point baseball team kept the good times rolling in a big way Saturday, barreling through Webster University 20-1 to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament Regional Championship. The Pointers are now just one win away from advancing to the Super Regionals.

The Pointers started the game on the right foot. Former Rhinelander Hodag Bradley Comer hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give UWSP an early 2-0 lead.

While Webster would get a run back in the fourth, the Pointers’ offense quickly took control of the game. UWSP scored 11 runs in the fifth inning, in which 14 batters came to the plate. The massive inning was accented by back-to-back home runs by Brenden Canterbury and Kamden Oliver to make it 13-1 after five.

If that fifth inning wasn’t enough, the Pointers had a similar showing in the sixth. Comer smashed a grand slam for his second homer of the game to get UWSP four more. Later, Oliver would crush his second long ball of the game, followed by Anthony Tomczak getting in on the party with one of his own. After the dust settled, UWSP would add another seven runs in the sixth to make it a 20-1 game.

The 20-1 tally would stand the rest of the game as the Pointers cruised to a win. In total, the Pointers had 17 hits, six of which were homers. They also had 19 runs batted in, while the Pointers’ pitching staff held the Gorloks to just six hits. Comer finished the day with three hits, two of which being homers, and eight RBI.

“It was awesome,” said Comer. ‘I think we were all seeing the ball really well today and I hope that leads into tomorrow, but points don’t roll over into tomorrow so we gotta get back out and keep competing.”

The Pointers hoped to have saved some runs for Sunday’s Regional Championship. They only need to win one game to advance to the Super Regionals, while their opponent needs to win two games. Pointers head coach Nat Richter said the offensive output is something that comes down to the little things.

“For us, it’s about the process and just having good at-bats,” said Richter. “We had good at-bats and the results take care of themselves there.”

The first pitch of the Regional Championship is Sunday at 11:00 a.m. from Zimmermann Field in Stevens Point. If necessary, game two would follow the conclusion of game one.

Copyright 2023 WSAW. All rights reserved.