Baseball 4/27/05 -- Wisconsin-Stout 11, Augsburg 2 

GAME BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (4/27/05) -- Seth Maier (Jr., Park Falls, Wis.) went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and triple, driving in three runs and scoring twice to lead the University of Wisconsin-Stout to an 11-2 victory over host Augsburg College in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday evening at Parade Stadium.

Maier tripled and scored as part of a four-run fourth inning, then hit a two-run homer to left field in the fifth for the Blue Devils, now 13-18 overall. Augsburg saw a four-game winning streak snapped in falling to 17-13 overall.

The Blue Devils had a productive day at the plate, slapping 13 hits off of five Augsburg pitchers. Meanwhile, four Stout pitchers combined to shut down the Auggies, allowing only three hits and two unearned runs in the seventh inning.

Stout got on the board first in the third inning, as Brandt Buckley (Jr., Menomonie, Wis.) scored on a wild pitch. The Blue Devils sent eight batters to the plate in the fourth inning. Maier tripled and scored on a single by Erik Johnson (Fr., La Crosse, Wis./Central HS), and Matt Krause (Fr., Bonduel, Wis.) later tripled to bring home two runs. He then scored on a successful squeeze bunt by Buckley. Maier's two-run blast in the fifth put the Blue Devils ahead 7-0.

Two fielding errors in the seventh inning enabled the Auggies to score their two runs. Tim Wahl (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) reached base on a bobbled catch on a grounder, and later scored after a fielding error. Mike Zaun (Fr., Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) then singled to drive home Andrew Werner (Fr., Vermillion, Minn./Hastings HS).

Stout then put the game away in the ninth inning, taking advantage of two Augsburg errors two score four unearned runs. A dropped infield fly enabled one run to score, and another came in on a groundout by Meier. Johnson singled to drive in a run, and another run came across following a fielding error.

Johnson ended up 2-for-4 at the plate for the Blue Devils, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Jay Burian (Jr., Eau Claire, Wis./North HS) went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Krause went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Todd Brunclik (Sr., Birchwood, Wis./Rice Lake HS) went 2-for-5, scoring a run.

Wahl, Zaun and Troy Deden (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) had the Auggie hits.

Starter Scott Decker (So., Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial HS) pitched the first three innings for the Blue Devils, striking out four while allowing one hit. Mike Baum (So., Bristol, Wis./Westosha HS) picked up the win for Stout in relief, throwing four innings and allowing just two hits. Bryan Vilstrup (Fr., Frederic, Wis.) and Chris Reid (Fr., Appleton, Wis./North HS) pitched an inning apiece for the Blue Devils.

Augsburg starter Werner pitched three innings, striking out three. Adam Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS), the third of Augsburg's five pitchers on the day, had five strikeouts and allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings of work.

Augsburg returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday (4/30) with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against St. Mary's at Parade Stadium. Wisconsin-Stout has a nonconference home doubleheader against Northland (Wis.) on Thursday (4/28), starting at 1 p.m.