UW-L Opens Season with Sweep of Augsburg

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Minneapolis, Minn. – The UW-La Crosse baseball team opened its 2008 season Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Augsburg College (Minn.) at the Metrodome. The Eagles won the opener, 8-4, and the nightcap, 2-1. Both games were seven-innings. Augsburg drops to 1-3 on the season with the two losses.

In the opener, Augsburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning before UW-L scored five times in the bottom of the inning. Lance Poppy tied the game with an RBI single scoring Tony Peterson. Cory Poppitz gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead on a two-run triple scoring Poppy and Mike Schmidt.

Dusty Otto added a sacrifice fly and Tyler Peterson made it 5-1 as he scored on a double steal with Storm Gram.

The Auggies cut the margin to 5-4 with three runs in the third inning, but Joey Casper’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the third gave the Eagles a 6-4 lead. UW-L added two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Darren O’Donnell had an RBI double and Schmidt drew a bases-loaded walk.

Britton Wolf earned the win for UW-L, going six innings, allowing three hits and four runs (one earned) while striking out one. Mike Brehm pitched the final inning, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

O’Donnell , Tony Peterson and Poppy each finished with two hits in the opener while Tony Peterson and Tyler Peterson scored twice. Poppitz had two RBI.

In game two, Gram broke a 0-0 tie with a two-out solo home run in the top of the fifth for UW-L. The Eagles made it 2-0 in the sixth as Schmidt had a sacrifice fly. Augsburg cut the lead to 2-1 on Al Davis' run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth.

O'Donnell went 3-for-3 with a run scored and RBI.

Ross Benitz started for UW-L, going 4.2 innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out four. Greg Gibson picked up the win for the Eagles, going 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and a run. Brehm recorded the save, striking out all three batters he faced.

UW-L returns to action Friday, March 14 versus Montclair State (N.J.) in Chandler, Arizona to start its spring break trip.