Baseball Drops Series Opener to North Central

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team dropped its opening game in a three-game series against North Central College (Ill.), 21-1, on Friday afternoon at Lenz Field in Jacksonville, Ill.

The Cardinals jumped on UW-Platteville's Bill Oppriecht right from the start, getting three runs on five hits in the first inning, 3-0.

Cardinals added three more runs in the fourth inning, which would end Oppriecht's afternoon. Oppriecht pitched four innings and allowed 11 hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks.

Zach Ryan started the fifth but could only get one out while giving up seven runs (five earned) on three hits and two walks as the Cardinals went up 13-0. Bobby Patton relieved Ryan and would finally get the Pioneers out the fifth inning.

The Pioneers would finally get on the board in the sixth-frame. Ryan Duva led the inning off with a single to left field and would eventually score on a George Jester III two-out RBI single through the right side, 13-1.

The Cardinals added three more runs in the seventh-inning off Patton and three in the eight and two more in the final frame off Scott Drake.

Duva and Jester recorded the Pioneers' only four hits with two apiece as the Cardinals recorded 23 hits with two or more hits from eight different player.

NCC's Jon Rashid earned his second win of the season and only allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Andrew Houser threw three relieve innings with out giving up a hit or a run with one walk and four strikeouts.

The Pioneers and North Central wrap up their three-game series on Saturday with at doubleheader starting at noon.