SHEBOYGAN,WIS.- A fourth inning rally helped lift the Wisconsin Division II club baseball team to a 6-2 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead in the opening game of the National Club Baseball Association District V Regional Friday afternoon at Wildwood Baseball park.
The tournament is a four-team, double elimination affair that will play our over three days. The winner earns the district’s bid to the NCBA World Series in Paducha, Ky.
It was the Dragons who struck first courtesy of a RBI single from John Sawatzky in the fourth inning.
From there, it was all Badgers. Despite being held hitless through the first three innings, Wisconsin plated five runs in the home half of the fourth. A run-scoring single from Eric Lardinois knotted the game at 1-1. Sean Blythe quickly followed suit with a 2-RBI single.
Adam Rubatt then got in on the act with a two-run triple to right field. By the time the dust settled, it was 5-1 UW.
Billy Calawerts added an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI single of his own.
That was all the run support that starting pitcher Ian Malmstadt would need. He went the distance for UW, scattering four hits throughout seven innings of work, striking out four and walking two.
The Badgers (12-3) will be back in action tomorrow at noon against the winner of the game between Lakehead (4-2) and Grand Valley State (15-1).
Should the Badgers win, they will be off to the championship game on Sunday morning. A loss means a quick turnaround and appearance in an elimination game at 3 p.m.
Check back with madtownbadgers.com for continuing coverage from this event.
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