Ephs Fall to Wisconsin-LaCrosse 4-3

Davenport, FL -- After two hard fought losses the Ephs returned to Davenport to face Wisconsin-La Crosse. Sophomore Nick Skiera, following this no -un relief appearances against RPI and SUNY Cobleskill, would start the game on the mound for the Ephs, pitching to first year Henry Juan.
 
Wisconsin-La Crosse would score a run in the first inning, after stringing together three singles. However, the Ephs were quick to strike back , with Eric Pappas reaching on an error and being driven in by first year Brendan Stannard, who is having himself a phenomenal start to his collegiate career. Nick Skiera said, "It's great knowing the bats we have in the lineup like Stannard, it gives you a ton of confidence on the mound knowing runs are going to get scored."
 
After the game became tied, Nick Skiera would go on to pitch five scoreless innings, stifling the Wisconsin-La Crosse bats with his mid-eighties fastball and mix of off speed pitches and highlighted by a tight breaking slider. The fifth inning would be when the Ephs regained the lead, with Matt Brown leading off the inning with a walk being brought home by an RBI single by Eric Pappas.
 
The seventh inning began with a hard hit single by Wisconsin-La Crosse, leading to a pitching change for the Ephs. First year James O'Connor relieved Skiera, walking the first batter he faced. From there, O'Connor filled the strike zone, pitching two scoreless innings and getting the Ephs out of a jam.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Ephs would take the lead 3-2 with Jakob Cohn reaching second base on a double, with Dave Driscoll hitting the go ahead RBI on  a single.
 
The top of the ninth was where the momentum would swing to Wisconsin-La Crosse, with the bases being loaded by near misses in and around the strike zone. After a hard hit double and sacrifice fly, Wisconsin-La Crosse would take the lead 4-3. O'Connor would end the inning by fielding a difficult ground ball down the third baseline. The bottom of the ninth would leave the Ephs scoreless despite Henry Juan earning a walk, bringing the Ephs to a 2-3 record on the year.