Baseball Sweeps Blackburn College

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team swept Blackburn College, 5-4, 1-0 in two seven inning games at Lenz Field in Jacksonville, Ill. on Tuesday.

The Pioneers improved to 5-3 as the Blackburn fell to 2-7 on the season.

GAME ONE: UW-Platteville 5 – Blackburn 4

The Pioneer bats came alive early getting five hits in the first two innings. Ryan Duva started the game off with a single to right field and put himself in scoring position by stealing second. Freshman George Jester III singled to the shortstop and scored on Zach Demmon's two RBI triple, going the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Demmon scored on a throwing error by the shortstop allowing Evan Greco to reach. The Beavers responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own, 3-1.

In the top of the second, Duva drove in Todd Wienkes on a RBI double to left field. Jester extended the Pioneers lead to 5-1 with a single to right field but ended the inning by trying stretch it out to a double.

Blackburn used three hits to start the bottom of the fourth making it a 5-3 game. The Beavers added one more in the frame, but the Pioneers' Mike Boushley managed to stop the bleeding and kept the Pioneers on top 5-4.

In the final three innings Bousley held Blackburn scoreless while giving up a hit in each inning. The sophomore newcomer earned his first collegiate victory by striking out six. Boushley pitched a complete game seven hitter and allowed three earned runs.

Duva and Jester led the team with five of the Pioneers seven hits. Duva went 3-for-3 with two runs and a RBI.

GAME TWO: UW-Platteville 1 – Blackburn 0

Junior Shane Murphy pitched a gem for the Pioneers. He only allowed one hit in 6.2 innings and fanned nine batters. He sat down the Beavers in order in the second and third and then in the fifth and sixth.

The Pioneers scored their only run in the third inning on a double-steal. Duva reached base by getting hit by a pitch and moved to third on freshman Casey Schroeder's single to center field. Schroeder stole second and Duva took advantage of the Beavers trying to get Schroeder out at second and stole home.

The game got a bit tight in the bottom of the seventh, Murphy walked the leadoff batter and managed to get two outs before loading up the bases. Junior Tyler Nelson came in to save the game and forced Cody Meyer to ground out to second on a 3-2 pitch. Nelson earned his second save of the season.

The Pioneers return to action on Friday and Saturday. UW-Platteville faces off with Monmouth on Friday at 3 p.m. at Augustana (Ill.) in Rock Island, Ill.; and square off with Augustana at noon on Saturday and then against Aurora at 3:30.