DAVENPORT, Fla. — The UW-River Falls baseball team concluded its RussMatt Invitational spring break trip Wednesday morning, rallying to defeat Sprinfield College in seven innings by a score of 17-6.
UWRF improves to 4-2 overall with its season-high run total, 16 hits, and 16 runs batted in. The Falcons were down 5-0 in the first inning before the bats came alive, scoring in six consecutive innings, including a 10-run sixth inning to help seal the win.
Despite a tough start with an early five-run deficit, UWRF chipped away with in the ensuing innings. In the third inning, the Falcons got on the board, sparking the comeback.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Falcons struck again. With two outs, Ryan Eckerle hit a two-RBI single to scored Patrick Lundgren and Max Stocco to bring the game to 5-3. The momentum continued building in the fifth, where UWRF scored three more off a Lundgren 2-RBI double and a Kale Twombly RBI fielder's choice gave UWRF its first lead at 6-5.
The game turned decisively in the sixth when the Falcons exploded for 10 runs off seven hits, gaining a 16-5 edge. UWRF added another in the seventh, answered by one from Springfield in the bottom half, but the Falcons' lead was too much to overcome.
On the mound, John Santelman earned the win for the Falcons, pitching one scoreless inning in relief. Evan Senobe also tossed three scoreless innings and EJ Kuster closed out the game with two solid innings with three strikeouts.
Offensively, nine Falcons had at least one hit, with Max Stocco and Patrick Lundgren leading the way with three hits each, including four RBIs for Lundgren. Cade Bruett, Tanner Hraby, and JV Castillo followed with two hits each.
Up next, the Falcons face Bethel University on Sunday, March 23 for a doubleheader at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
