Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team was defeated by William Paterson with a score of 13-5 at the RussMatt Invitational in Davenport, Florida. A decisive four-run third inning by the Pioneers set the tone for the game, leaving the Blugolds unable to catch up.

UW-Eau Claire initially took the lead when John DiGregorio hit a two-run homer in the first inning. However, William Paterson responded by scoring a run in the second inning and then taking control with four runs in the third. The Pioneers continued their offensive momentum, adding two runs in the fourth and one run each in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. They concluded their scoring spree with three more runs in the eighth inning.

Despite trailing by nine runs entering the ninth inning, UW-Eau Claire managed a sacrifice fly from Drew Salyers but failed to generate further offense. Salyers led his team with a strong performance, going 3-for-4 at bat, hitting two doubles, and scoring twice. Logan Hesselman also contributed with two doubles while DiGregorio finished 2-for-2.

On the mound for UW-Eau Claire was Brennan Cohen who pitched for 3.2 innings before being relieved by Chase Watkins. Watkins struck out five batters over three innings during his second career appearance.

The Blugolds are scheduled to play two more games at the tournament on Friday against St. Norbert College and Wooster at Northeast Regional Park.

For updates on UW-Eau Claire's baseball season, fans can visit Blugolds.com or follow their social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.