Baseball Defeats Greenville in Season Opener

SAUGET, Ill. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team used a five-run sixth-inning to surge past Greenville College, 5-2 on Thursday at GCS Ballpark in the Pioneers season opener.

A Pioneer miscue in the first inning allowed the Panthers to take a 1-0 lead. Senior Adam Theis got into a little trouble in the fourth frame but manged to only give up a run after allowing two hits to start the inning.

Going in the the sixth, UW-Platteville had left on five runners on base and would finally push runners across home plate in the sixth. George Jester III belted the ball to deep left center and the ball got hung up on the wall to allow Jester to stretch out a triple to start the inning. The next three batters earned walks to get the Pioneers on the board. With one-out, Evan Greco chopped one over an outstretched Tyler Mitchell to tie the game up at 2-2. Newcomer Ryan Duva broke the game open with a two-RBI single into center giving the Pioneers a 5-2 advantage.

Theis finished his afternoon pitching three scoreless innings in his final three frames, while Tyler Nelson earned the save by throwing two scoreless and hitless innings.

Duva and Greco led the team with two hits apiece. Theis threw seven innings giving up seven hits and two runs (one unearned). Theis and Nelson didn't give up any free bases as the Greenville pitching staff tallied six walks.

The Pioneers return to action on Friday and Saturday for a three-game series with North Central (Ill.) at Jacksonville, Ill. on Lenz Field. UW-Platteville and the Cardinals with play one on Friday at 3 p.m. and a twinbill on Saturday starting at noon.