Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire baseball team participated in the RussMatt Invitational, playing two games on Friday at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Florida. The Blugolds managed a win against St. Norbert College with a 3-1 scoreline after 13 innings but were narrowly defeated by the College of Wooster, losing 5-4.

In their game against St. Norbert, the Blugolds found themselves in a tight contest. St. Norbert took an early lead with a run in the first inning, and it wasn't until the eighth inning that Logan Hesselman from Eau Claire tied the game with an RBI single. The match extended into extra innings as neither team scored in the ninth.

Carter Vieth from Elk Mound secured victory for UW-Eau Claire with a decisive two-run home run in the top of the 13th inning. Sebastian De La Toba from Chula Vista delivered an impressive performance from the bullpen, keeping St. Norbert scoreless over eight innings while striking out five batters and allowing only three hits.

Drew Salyers matched a program record by having seven at-bats during this game.

Against Wooster, UW-Eau Claire initially took control when Cole Clausen hit a two-RBI double followed by another RBI double from Hesselman, establishing a 3-0 lead. Despite leading 3-2 into the sixth inning and scoring again on a passed ball, Wooster equalized with two runs in their half of the sixth and eventually clinched victory with a fielder's choice in the seventh inning.

Hesselman contributed three hits during this second game for UW-Eau Claire. Tyler Webb started as pitcher for this match and pitched six effective innings, conceding three earned runs while striking out seven opponents.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire is set to play their final game at RussMatt Invitational against Framingham State on Saturday morning at 9:15 Eastern Time in Auburndale, Florida.