Baseball team takes one in series against defending champs

Written by: Jeremy Williamson, Sports Information Student Assistant

WHITEWATER, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team dropped the series to No. 1 UW-Whitewater 3-1 in a pair of doubleheaders on Sunday and Monday at Prucha Field.

Following Sunday and Monday's contests, the Pioneers (12-6 WIAC, 21-13 overall) dropped one spot, to No. 3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, behind UW-Whitewater (14-4 WIAC, 26-5 overall) and UW-La Crosse (15-7 WIAC, 22-10 overall).

The Pioneers started the first game utilizing the three first inning walks the Warhawks pitcher had given them. Colin DeBoer, Todd Wienkes and Evan Greco loaded the bases without tallying a single hit. George Jester III reached first on fielder's choice, scoring DeBoer. Then a Warhawk overthrow to third led to the Pioneers' second run of the game, 2-0, as Wienkes made it home.

UW-Whitewater rallied back to take the lead 4-3 at the end of the third inning. The Pioneers were held scoreless over the next four innings as the Warhawks built their lead up to four, 7-3. A late Pioneer effort coming from the bats of Tanner Galeazzi, who hit a triple for one RBI, and Evan Greco, who grounded out for the final score of the game as Warhawks notched the first contest 7-5.

UW-Whitewater used a four-run second inning to propel them through game two on Sunday. Although the Pioneers tacked on a run in the sixth, it was not enough to overcome the best pitcher in the WIAC in the Warhawks' Colin Grove (7-1, 1.93era). 

In the first game on Monday, Riley Vandenburg pitched three innings and allowed the only two Warhawk runs of the game. Freshman Tannler Ames earned the 3-2 win pitching the next four innings, giving up only two hits, walking two, striking out one, and allowing no Warhawk runs. Senior reliever Trevor Hall was called upon in the seventh inning and earned his fifth save of the year, which is second best in the conference. Hall also ranks second in the WIAC with appearances in 13 games.

Greco set the pace for the Pioneers at the plate going 4-5 with two of the three Pioneers' RBIs and one run. DeBoer, Bobby Bean and Jonny Frese each contributed two hits apiece as the Pioneers outhit the No. 1 Warhawks 12-7.

After tying the game in the fifth 2-2, a scoreless sixth was followed by Greco's final RBI as he drove a single to second base bringing in Wienkes for the last run of the game. UW-Platteville went on to defeat the defending national champs 3-2.

In the final game of the series the Warhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the end of the third. The Pioneers quickly answered with one run in the fourth and fifth inning to tie the game at two apiece. UW-Whitewater tacked on three more runs over the next two innings and brought sophomore pitcher Eric Curtis his third loss of the year, 5-2.

Wienkes, Greco and Max Meitzler had two hits each, while Meitzler and Greco batted in the only two runs of the game.

The Pioneers continue their battle for first in the WIAC with a doubleheader against UW-La Crosse on Wednesday, beginning at 1 p.m. at Kendall Murray Field.