Four-game Yellowjacket sweep puts Pioneers at first in WIAC

Written by: Jeremy Williamson, Sports Information Student Assistant

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – With 12 straight wins, a 6-0 WIAC record and a first place position in the conference, the Pioneer baseball team finished a clean four-game sweep of the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets on Saturday and Sunday at Kendall Murray Field.

The Pioneers garnered 13 victories altogether last season, and with this weekend's results they have already passed that number (15-7 overall).

Saturday

The first game on Saturday began at 1 p.m. with the Pioneers running off to a 8-0 start by the end of the third inning. Although the Yellowjackets rallied for four runs in the fifth and sixth innings, it was not enough to overcome their early deficit as the Pioneers earned the first win of the weekend, 8-4.

Right fielder Evan Greco earned two RBIs off of two singles to right field, while batting 2-4 in the first game. Second baseman Colin DeBoer also drove in two runs, while batting 1-4 and earning two runs of his own. Sophomore pitcher Nathan Fay (3-1) earned the win pitching through six complete innings, giving up six hits, four runs and striking out five.

The Pioneers got off to another great start in their second game as they took a 10-1 start through the first three innings. UW-Superior tacked on three more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but after the Pioneers put up another point in the eighth and shut the Yellowjackets out in the ninth, it was UW-Platteville who went 2-0 on the day after the 11-4 Pioneer performance.

First baseman James Pavlik earned four of his eight RBIs on the season in Saturday's second game, while going 2-4 at the plate with two runs off of a triple in the first and a two-run single in the third. George Jester III was called upon as a designated hitter and made the most of it as he went 2-4, earning two runs and an RBI. Through 5.2 innings, Eric Curtis (1-1) gave up seven hits, two earned runs, struck out three and earned his first win of the year.

Sunday

A five-run first inning performance catapulted the Pioneers off to another great start. Although the Yellowjackets were able to rally and stay with the Pioneers through six innings, 8-7, a Jester grand slam in the eighth put UW-Platteville up by five, 12-7. While the Yellowjackets rallied for four more runs in the ninth, senior reliever Trevor Hall was able to finish the game off for the Pioneers, 12-11.

Jester led all batters with five RBIs off of three hits, earned four runs and was walked once. First baseman Max Mietzler hit a perfect 3-3 with two RBIs, one run and was walked once. Freshman Riley Vandenberg (3-0) earned the win after pitching 3.2 innings, giving up four hits, five total runs, walking four and striking out three.

After allowing three runs in the first inning of the second game, junior Austin Daniels held the Yellowjackets to just one more run for the remaining eight innings (9-4), as he pitched the whole game and currently holds a team-best 2.29 ERA.

Jester, Casey Schroeder and Zack Iverson all homered in the contest, racking up four of the nine runs in the game. Jester also drove in Tanner Galeazzi with his home run for two RBIs, going 2-5 with one run. DeBoer went 3-4 with a walk and two runs.

Through 22 games the Pioneers are 10-0 at home, 2-2 away and 3-5 at neutral locations. They are also batting a team-average of .291, with an on-base percentage of .381, while going 203-689 with 76 walks.

UW-Platteville will travel to Stout on Wednesday to take on the Blue Devils (13-8) for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.