Pioneers hit way to four game win streak

Written by: Jeremy Williamson, Sports Information Student Assistant

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The Pioneer baseball team returned from spring break to the tune of a four-game winning streak as they earned victories over Edgewood College and Cornell College, as well as a two-game sweep over Marian University on Thursday.

On Tuesday the Pioneers travelled across the river to Dubuque, for a neutral siting game against the Eagles of Madison Edgewood. The game was tied through the first two innings of play, until the bottom of the third, when the Pioneers took a 4-3 lead and held it until the fifth when the men tacked on another run, 5-3. By the end of the sixth, the Pioneers earned three more runs and tallied three more in the eighth. The Eagles also garnered runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but not enough to overcome their deficit as the Pioneers went on to win 11-6.

Right fielder Evan Greco led the game in RBIs with five, while catcher Todd Wienkes was 100 percent at the plate, going 3-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a home run in the sixth inning. Although the Pioneers used five pitchers, freshman Colton Bormann earned the victory on the mound pitching two innings, giving up two hits, no runs and one strikeout.

The Rams of Cornell College, Iowa, travelled to UW-Platteville on Wednesday, but left to the crushing blow of a 20-8 loss to the big-batted Pioneers. Center fielder Tanner Galeazzi led all batters with seven RBIs, going 5-6 at the plate while scoring five runs, and adding three homers to his stat sheet. Bobby Bean also went yard with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, to go along with a 4-6 performance, earning five RBIs and two runs. Freshman pitcher Riley Vandenberg earned the victory on the mound, pitching six innings, giving up six earned runs and striking out five batters.

The Pioneers then swept the Sabers of Marian University on Thursday with a pair of seven inning victories, 6-5 and 5-0. Casey Schroeder was the most consistent Pioneer batter for the day, going 3-4 and earning three runs, while Zack Iverson garnered one run and one RBI while hitting 3-5 on the day. Iverson went a perfect 2-2 in the first game and earned his RBI off a sac fly in the bottom of the third. Senior pitcher Trevor Hall tallied a win in the first game pitching 2.2 innings, giving up only one hit and earning one strikeout. Austin Daniels took the second game, facing 29 batters and pitching all seven innings, while giving up four hits, striking out five batters and giving up no runs.

The Pioneers continue their home stand on Saturday with a doubleheader against the University of Chicago starting at 1 P.M.