FORT MYERS, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Stout swept a doubleheader against the Southern Vermont College baseball team Wednesday during the Gene Cusic Classic at the Player Development Complex with scores of 6-2 and 7-3.

After starting the season 0-3, Stout won all eight of its games during the Blue Devils' stay in Florida to improve to 8-3 on the year. SVC drops to 5-6 with the pair of defeats.

Game 1: Stout 6, Southern Vt. 2
The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second with four runs which would prove to be enough for senior left-hander Brent Mueller (Medford, Wis.). Southern Vt. made it a 5-2 game in the top of the sixth, but the Mountaineers couldn't get any more across as Stout finished off the win.

SVC junior first baseman Cody LaBadia (Howes Cave, N.Y.) was 2-4 with a run scored while junior right fielder Roland Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif.) went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored. Junior center fielder Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.) also got on twice, going 1-2 at the bat with a walk.

Blue Devil junior shortstop Nick Nalbach (Plover, Wis.) led the team offensively with a 3-4 performance at the plate, knocking in two runs in the win. Junior left fielder Brett Varva (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) was 2-3 at the dish, both hits being doubles, while batting in a run and scoring another. Junior second baseman Jack Schneider (Minneapolis, Minn.) was also 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored while sophomore center fielder Brady Burzynski (Eau Claire, Wis.) added a 1-3 showing out of the lead-off spot with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Mueller went the distance, allowing no earned runs as he moves to 3-0 on the season from the bump. He allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out four Mountaineer batters. SVC sophomore right-hander Chris Bradt (Albany, N.Y.) suffered the loss (0-2) after giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits and a walk; he tallied two strikeouts on the day in his six innings of action.

Mueller made quick work of the Mountaineers in the top of the first, giving up just a sole single on a hard-hit come-backer off LaBadia's bat. Bradt was able to chalk up a strikeout in the bottom of the frame before Nalbach pulled one out to left, rolling to the fence 330 feet from home as he made his way to second. Junior right fielder Ryan Freitag (Osseo, Wis.) made solid contact to send the ball out to right, but Hernandez made the quick catch while Nalbach retreated to the bag. Bradt then got junior designated hitter Charlie Meyer (Janesville, Wis.) to chase a two-strike ball in the dirt, and the throw down to first retired the side.

In the second, Mueller went back to work to get the first two outs quickly, getting a groundout before painting the outside corner at the knees for his second strikeout of the day. An inning-ending pop-out wrapped it up and brought the Blue Devil bats back to the plate where Stout tacked up four to pull ahead early.

To lead-off the bottom of the frame, Bradt got senior catcher Jared Francois (Burlington, Wis.) to pull one off the handle down to sophomore Richard Rios (Pico Rivera, Calif.) at third who promptly made the throw over to get him for the first out. A pop-out to sophomore RJ Pingitore (Amsterdam, N.Y.) at second brought up Vavra who tagged one over sophomore left fielder Quinten Scott's (Ashaway, R.I.) head, heading to second as the ball rolled out to the fence. Junior third baseman Jake Lunow (Princeton, Wis.) then hit a ball to right, forcing Hernandez to pull up and attempt to play it off the ground, allowing Vavra to round third and score the first run of the game; the ball skipped by the right fielder, and Lunow motored all the way to third. A Schneider blooper over the outstretched arm of junior shortstop Chris Nicastro Jr. (Kenilworth, N.J.) then plated Lunow for Stout to take a 2-0 lead. Burzynski rolled one to short and was able to leg out the single to keep the inning alive, and a wild pitch then put two in scoring position for Nalbach who sent one back up the middle to plate the pair for the 4-0 advantage.

Mueller started the third with his third strikeout, another called punch-out at the knees. Sciara tried to get the Mountaineers rolling with a line-drive out to left center, getting on his horse to make it to second standing up. Rios hit the ball hard in the air, but Burzynski moved over to his right and was able to make the catch for the second out of the inning. With Sciara off on the pitch, Rios grounded over to short where Nalbach had to range to his right and try to make the throw over; Rios was able to beat it out to bring up LaBadia with runners at the corners. He chopped it over to third, and Lunow charged, took the ball of the hop and fired to first to retire the side.

Bradt was again able to get the first two outs with ease in the bottom of the third, soliciting a groundout to Nicastro's left before a fly-out to Scott. A grounder to Rios nearly ended the inning, but the throw was off the mark and allowed senior first baseman Charlie Pelzer (Little Canada, Minn.) to reach. Off on contact, he then scored on the next at-bat when Vavra registered his second double of the day to make it a 5-0 ballgame.

Sophomore designated hitter Fabian Hance (Miami, Fla.) started the top of the fourth with a hard-hit ball to left on the first pitch he saw, but Vavra adjusted and made to play to retire him. Pingitore then slapped one over Schneider's head to get a duck on the pond for SVC; he attempted to swipe second, but Meyer's throw was right at Schneider's waiting glove on the base where he barely need to move it to record the out. An ensuing fly-out ended it for the Mountaineers and sent the game to the bottom of the inning.

A nice pick out of the dirt by LaBadia on a throw by Rios notched the first out for Bradt in the bottom of the fourth. Nalbach tried to get things going with two outs, ripping a single past the SVC's pitcher's glove and into center. Freitag ended the frame with a high-bouncing ball to LaBadia who was forced to backpedal for the snag-and-flip to the covering Bradt for the out.

Scott was able to get the first Southern Vt. lead-off batter on base in the top of the fifth when he chopped one to third where the ball jumped over Lunow's glove and into left. An outside pitch off Meyer's glove allowed Scott to move up to second with no outs. With two strikes, freshman catcher Tony Mercuri (Ridge, N.Y.) attempted to lay down a bunt, only for it to ricochet foul for the out. Sciara bounced one out to short, allowing Scott to run behind it and up to third before Nalbach made the second out at first. A grounder to third ended the inning, stranding Scott for the fourth SVC runner left on base.

Rios made a nice diving stop to start the bottom of the fifth, gunning it over to retire Meyer for the first out. He then recorded the second on an easier play to sit down the first two Blue Devils of an inning for the fourth time of the day. Bradt would miss out on his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, however, when Pelzer hit one hard through the left side between Rios and Nicastro. A pop-out to Pingitore ended the inning with Stout still up 5-0.

The Mountaineers started to get things going in the top of the sixth when a Hernandez lead-off walk was followed by a LaBadia single off the hands into shallow right field. Hance then chopped one up the first base line, a ball that stayed fair for the runners to advance while Mueller scooped it up and applied the tag to Hance for the first out. A shallow fly-out to right snagged on the line by Schneider put two down for SVC, but an infielder miscue off the bat of Nicastro kept the inning going while two Mountaineers came in to score on an errant throw to first. A groundout followed to end the inning as Southern Vt. cut the deficit to 5-2.

UWS responded and added some insurance in the bottom of the frame, started by when Schneider roped a one-out double down to the left field corner. After a walk put runners on first and second, Nalbach grounded it down the third base line. Rios climbed the ladder and came down on the base for the force-out but was just too late with his throw over to first for the inning-ending double play. Freitag took advantage as he ripped one to the right side, forcing Nalbach to stop and avoid the ball from hitting him before moving up to second and then on to third. Burzynski came around to score, putting the Blue Devils up 6-2.

Stout sent Mueller back to the mound to try to finish off Southern Vt. in the top of the seventh. After getting a pop-out to first to start the inning, Sciara was able to work a walk to get on for the second time of the day. Rios then moved the Mountaineer captain up to second with a frozen rope to center. Following a mound visit, Mueller jammed Hernandez for the second out on a fly ball right to Vavra in left and then got LaBadia to fly out to right to end it and gather his first complete game of the year.

Game 2: Stout 7, Southern Vt. 3
Stout took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first of Game 2 before adding two in the fourth and another in the fifth to go ahead 4-0. SVC cut it close with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but the Blue Devils responded with three of their own in the top of the seventh en route to the victory.

LaBadia had another solid showing at the plate, going 2-3 with a run scored. Pingitore went 2-4 while plating a run, and Hernandez was 1-3 with two RBIs.

Freitag was 2-3 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored for the Blue Devils in Game 2 while Burzynski went 2-2 with a sacrifice bunt and a hit by pitch; he scored three runs in the victory. Francois had a 1-3 showing at the dish with a sacrifice fly, adding an RBI and a run scored to his line.

UWS freshman righty Zach Carlson (Indian Head Park, Ill.) improved to 2-1 from the hill, picking up the win after giving up the three earned runs on eight hits and a walk; he struck out five batters on the day. Southern Vt. freshman right-hander R.J. Henle (Plantation, Fla.) took the loss (0-1) in his first collegiate start, surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks.

Stout kept its offense rolling into the second game as Burzynksi ripped the first pitch of the contest through the right side of the infield. After a failed pickoff attempt allowed him to move up to second, a fly-out to right field allowed made way for the sophomore to move up to third. He then came in to score on a grounder hit deep to second base by Freitag for the 1-0 advantage.

The bottom of the inning saw Pingitore hit a one-out single in-between three Stout players in shallow left center, but he would be doubled off on the following at-bat when LaBadia lined one to a leaping Nalbach at short; he fired to first ahead of the diving Pingitore to record the final out and end the inning.

Henle was able to get out of the second quickly with help from his defense, first when LaBadia snagged a pop-up in foul territory right before the fence. After a shading Sciara made the second out on a fly ball to him in left center, he ended the inning with a spectacular diving play in dead-center field going backwards to his left. Carlson had a 1-2-3 inning of his own in the bottom of the second, striking out the first two Mountaineers he faced before inducing a pop-out to first to end it.

Stout got things going with one out in the top of the third with a walk and a hit batter, but that would be all the Blue Devils would materialize. Henle helped himself when he spun off the mound while Schneider started down the third baseline; the freshman pitcher threw over to third where Rios grabbed the ball and sprinted at the runner, tagging him out near second as Burzynski moved up a base. A fly-out ended things for UWS with the Blue Devils still up just 1-0.

SVC got its lead-off batter on base in the bottom of the inning when Vavra just missed a shoestring catch in left center off the bat of sophomore catcher Ryan Schuette (Ballston Spa, N.Y.). He would be erased one batter later, however, when a ball hit to shallow right caused him to go halfway down the base path; after Freitag got up from narrowly missing a diving catch, he fired in to second where Nalbach was waiting for the force-out. After a fly-out to left for the second, Rios hit a hard liner down the left field line for a double that moved sophomore left fielder Cameron Simpson (Warwick, R.I.) up to third. Pingitore ripped it just to the right of Carlson, but Schneider was waiting up the middle to field and throw the ball to first for the side retirement.

Freitag started the top of the fourth with a double blasted to right center field before Francois chopped a check-swing single out of Henle's reach to the left of the mound. Pelzer then hit it deep enough to left for Freitag to tag-up and head home for the 2-0 advantage. Vavra knocked one out over Simpson's head in left for another Stout double, plating Francois to put his team ahead 3-0. Henle got Lunow to ground back to him, jogging over before tossing to LaBadia for the third out.

LaBadia drove one to the outfield up the middle to start the bottom of the frame, but he was put out on a double play following a strikeout; Hernandez hit the ball right to Schneider who was able to touch second and throw over to first to get Carlson out of the inning.

A one-out bloop by Burzynski put a runner on for the Blue Devils in the top of the fifth. Nalbach then dropped one into right field on the line, and Hernandez's throw to third in an attempt to get Burzynski out allowed Nalbach to move up to second. That caused Southern Vt. to intentionally walk Freitag to get to Meyer, still with just one out. Francois sent a ball deep enough to right for Burzynski to score and tag while the throw home from Herandez was cut-off by LaBadia on the inner-edge of the diamond; he sprinted over and slapped Freitag for the third out, just before Nalbach touched the dish for another run.

Carlson went back to the mound in the bottom of the fifth, now with a 4-0 lead, and made quick work of the Mountaineers. He recorded his fourth strikeout of the day, sandwiched by a pair of outs for his second 1-2-3 inning.

Mountaineer sophomore southpaw Erik Johansen (Rosendale, N.Y.) came in to relieve Henle to start the sixth. He was able to get the first two Blue Devils to fan for strikeouts before an error on a groundball kept Stout at the bat. The inning ended on the next batter, however, as Johansen got Lunow to ground-out to short.

After Carlson retired the first two Southern Vt. hitters in the bottom of the sixth, Pingitore slapped a grounder through the right side past a diving Schneider. LaBadia kept things going with an opposite-field hit to left, and both runners were able to move up a base on a Carlson wild pitch. Following a walk to Hance to load the pond with two outs, Hernandez roped a single to right center to plate two Mountaineers. After Scott went to pinch run for Hance at second, the decision paid off when he was able to round third and get in ahead of the throw to score on a single to center by Nicastro, making it a 4-3 affair. That ended Carlson's day with the go-ahead run on second after Nicastro and Hernandez advanced on the throw home that tried to get Scott. Freshman righty Andy Peterson (Stillwater, Minn.) came in for the Blue Devils and was able to put out the fire, getting the final out on a Schuette grounder to short.

Stout came back in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs with help from a Mountaineer error on a UWS sacrifice attempt and then a walk to Nalbach. Freitag then soared one to right center over Sciara, allowing two runners to score for a 6-3 lead; waiting to make sure it wasn't caught, Nalbach only moved up to second, keeping Freitag at first with the 350-foot single. An ensuing Meyer sacrifice fly to right allowed Nalbach to move up and put runners at the corners with just one out. He then crossed the plate when Francois sent the ball to deep left for the sacrifice fly, making it 7-3. The inning continued with a Pelzer single to left field to put two ducks on the pond before a swinging strikeout closed out the inning.

With its last chance to get runs, Sciara legged out a grounder to short with one down for SVC in the bottom of the seventh. But that would be all the Mountaineers could muster as Peterson worked a grounder back to the mound and a fly-out to left to seal the deal and pick up his second save of the season.

SVC heads to Port Charlotte, Fla. Thursday for a 2 p.m. first pitch with Nichols Colleges while Stout takes on the Minnesota Twins rookie spring training group Thursday in a 12 p.m. exhibition contest.