The Stevens Point 15-year-old baseball team dropped both of its games last weekend and was eliminated from the Babe Ruth Ohio Valley Regional Tournament in Clarksburg, W.Va..
After dropping its opener Saturday, Point fell 8-5 to Beechmont, Ky. Stevens Point took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Beechmont. Jeff Herzog had a two-run single and Matt Zimmer walked with the bases loaded to put Point on top.
Beechmont tied the score in the bottom of the second but Point bounced back to take a 5-3 lead in the third. Herzog singled and came around to score as Brandon Eckendorf got all the way to third on an error. Eckendorf then scored on a wild pitch.
However, Beechmont took the lead for good in the bottom of the third when Point committed three errors and allowed a double, giving Beechmont a 6-5 lead. Solo runs in the fourth and fifth closed out the scoring.
Eckendorf started on the hill and took the loss for Stevens Point. He pitched three innings and alllowed six runs and six hits. He walked two and had no strikeouts. Schipferling finished up, and gave up two runs on six hits. He had no walks or strikeouts.
Four of Beechmont's runs were unearned as Point committed an uncharacteristic four errors.
Herzog led Stevens Point on offense with three hits.
In their tournament opener, the team lost 6-3 to Harris Township, the Northern Indiana champion.
Harris opened the scoring in the first inning on a walk and two singles. Stevens Point countered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Nate Domaszek, Jeff Herzog and Randy Printz walked to load the bases. Two runs came in on a fielders choice and an error.
After Harris went ahead with single runs in the third and fifth innings, Point tied the game in their half of the fifth. Justin Pezewski singled with one out and Adam Sandstrom was hit by a pitch. After a fielders choice, Jeremy Fritsch's single brought in Pezewski to tie the game at three.
Harris broke the tie and put the game away in the sixth by scoring three runs on a single, two errors and a two-run homer.
Stevens Point squandered a variety of scoring chances. They left the bases loaded twice and stranded a total of 12 runners.
Pezewski went the distance on the mound for Point and took the loss. He allowed nine hits, walked five and struck out one.
Fritsch had two hits to lead the team offensively.
The losses ended an otherwise spectacular season for Point and they finished with a record of 17-3. They won tournament championships at Oshkosh, Nekoosa and Stevens Point, and also won district and state championships.
The team is made up of Eckendorf, Zimmer, Pezewski, Schipferling, Herzog, Printz, Josh Jeffers, Ryan Blomlie, Nate Domaszek, Josh Richter, Adam Sandstrom, Brad Linzmeier and Jeremy Fritsch.
They are coached by Jeff Fritsch, Tom Domaszek and Bob "Ma" Pesch.