Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team began its participation in the 2025 RussMatt Invitational with a decisive win over Fredonia, scoring 17-8 at Northeast Regional Park. Freshman Carter Vieth from Elk Mound, Wisconsin, set a new program record by hitting four doubles during the game. This performance also matched the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record for most doubles in a single game, previously achieved by UW-Stout's Matt Hoeft in 2021.

Vieth's standout performance included going 4 for 5 and driving in five runs. His contributions were part of an overall strong offensive showing by the Blugolds, who accumulated 16 hits, nine of which were extra-base hits. The team collectively hit eight doubles, surpassing their previous record of seven.

A pivotal moment came in the fourth inning when UW-Eau Claire turned around a 2-1 deficit with six runs. Logan Hesselman and Brayton Thillman contributed significantly to this rally with an RBI triple and a two-RBI double respectively. The Blugolds continued to build their lead with additional runs in subsequent innings.

Despite Fredonia's attempt to close the gap with six runs in the seventh inning, UW-Eau Claire secured their victory by adding three more runs in the eighth inning. Vieth capped his day with another two-RBI double during this frame.

Hesselman and Drew Salyers each recorded three hits for UW-Eau Claire; Hesselman had two doubles and a triple while Salyers managed to steal one base. Cole Clausen and Dustan Green also added two hits each.

Pitcher Nicholas Meuser earned his first win of the season after delivering six solid innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out five batters.

The Blugolds are scheduled to face William Paterson University next at the RussMatt Invitational on Thursday, March 20 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time.