Pioneers Drop Two to #7 Warhawks

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. --  The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team came to Kendall Murray Field friday ranked #7 in the nation and took both ends of a doubleheader from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville by scores of 4-1 and 16-3.  The Warhawks improved its overall record to 31-6 and its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-best record to 23-3.  The Pioneers fell to 12-19 overall and 10-14 in the WIAC.

The two teams will face off in another doubleheader on Saturday.  Game one will begin at 12p with the nightcap beginning approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the opener.

Game 1:  UW-Whitewater 4, PIONEERS 1

Platteville's Dominic Buono (Fr./St. Charles, Ill.) made his first start of his collegiate career and after giving up two runs in the top of the first, really settled in.  The big 6'4 southpaw shutdown the the Warhawk offense after the first putting up four goose eggs to keep Whitewater at two runs through five.

Platteville cut its deficit in half in the fourth inning.  With the bases loaded and just one out, catcher Brady Ketterhagen (Fr./Union Grove, Wis.) worked a walk off starter Westin Muir to push the first run across.  Muir however struck out the next two batters to prevent any further damage.

The score remained 2-1 until the top of the 9th.  Nate Jennings (Sr./Arena, Wis.), who had come in relief of Buono in the sixth and tossed three scoreless innings, began the ninth by walking Matt Korman.  Korman stole second base, one of nine steals for UWW in the game.  Jennings would exit at that point and make way for reliever Jake Schneider (So./Sturgeon Bay, Wis.).  Schneider walked the first hitter he faced to put two on and nobody out.  A sacrifice fly and single later, the Warhawks had two insurance runs, going up 4-1.  Schneider avoided any further damage by inducing a pop out to Sam Paden and striking out Sam Vodhof.

With one out in the ninth, pinch hitter Andrew Zakula (Jr./Oak Creek, Wis.) was hit by a pitch.  Ross Krist (Sr./Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) followed with a single and the Pioneers had two on with the tying run coming to the plate.  Whitewater reliever Cade Berendt got Jonny Kelso (Sr./Villa Park, Ill.) to fly out and Wyatt Molitor (Jr./Reedsburg, Wis.) to ground out to end the game and earn his second save of the season.

Muir improved to 9-1 on the season working 7 innings, scattering four hits and striking out six.  Buono tossed five innings, gave up just the two runs on three hits and struck out five, but was hung with the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season.  Jennings was solid in relief allowing just one run on two hits in 3+ innings of work.

Game 2:  UW-Whitewater 16, PIONEERS 3  (7 innings)

While the Warhawks used speed to help them notch a win in game one, they brought out the power in game two.  UWW hit three home runs in the first two innings as part an 11-run barrage in the opening three frames.  Krist and Kelso hit solo home runs for the Pioneers in the first and fifth innings but it would not be enough to prevent the team from being run ruled after seven, 16-3.  Kade Lancour started and went the distance for Whitewater, improving his record to 7-0.  

Rich Jesse Jr. (Sr./Lockport, Ill.) started and was roughed up in two innings.  His record fell to 0-2.

Krist's home run was his team-leading seventh of the season.  Kelso's round tripper was his fourth of the season and 18th of his career as a Pioneer.