Pioneers split first two games at Belhaven

JACKSON, Miss. - After falling 10-5 to Belhaven Friday night at Smith Wills Stadium, UW-Platteville earned their third win of the season on Saturday with a 10-8 win in 11 innings.

Jonathon Kelso collected five hits in the Pioneers win on Saturday to become just the tenth Pioneer ever to have five or more hits in a game. Brooks Chandler had four RBI including the eventual game winner in the 11th, and Josh Moses hit his first home run of the season. Tim Dobrik gave up four runs in five innings, and Tyler Vogel earned the win after giving up just one earned run and striking out five Blazers in four innings of relief.

UW-Platteville jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but the Blazers tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth which forced Dobrik out of the game. The Pioneers fell behind by a run heading into the seventh when they were able to capitalize on Belhaven miscues for three runs, two of them unearned, and a 7-5 lead.

The Pioneers were up 8-6 in the bottom of the eight after Moses' home run when Belhaven's Colton Fontana evened the score with a two run triple. Fontana was caught stealing later in the inning to keep the game tied and eventually push the game into extra innings.

Mitchel Susa led off the 11th with a walk and Kelso followed with a single, and both runners advanced a base on a Blazer's throwing error. A one out fly ball by Chandler scored both runners, and Vogel sealed the win with two strikeouts in the bottom of the inning.

In UW-Platteville's loss Friday night, Brennan Kearny recorded his second three-hit game of the season. Moses went 2-2 that included an RBI double, and Kelso had two RBI on a fielders choice ground ball.

The Pioneers have one more game with Belhaven Monday night and finish their Mississippi trip with a game at Millsaps on Tuesday.