Baseball splits with UW-Superior in home opener
The UW-Platteville baseball team looked suspect in game one falling to UW-Superior, 4-3, but turned the day around in the night cap by routing the Yellowjackets, 8-0, in the Pioneers home opener at Kendall Murray Field on Saturday.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team looked suspect in game one falling to UW-Superior, 4-3, but turned the day around in the night cap by routing the Yellowjackets, 8-0, on Saturday at Kendall Murray Field in the Pioneers home opener.
Even with a week full of rain and cloudy days the Pioneers were final able to open its home slate as they went to 6-16 and 1-7 in conference play, while Yellowjackets moved to 8-13 and 1-5 in league play.
GAME ONE: UW-Platteville 3, UW-Superior 4
The Yellowjackets took advantage of a Pioneer miscue in the second inning and took a 1-0 lead.
Two extra base hits in the third inning helped Superior increase its lead to 4-0.
The Pioneers finally got on the board in the sixth scoring two runs, 4-2. UW-Platteville managed to load the base with no outs but could only push two runs across the dish.
The Pioneers had a great chance to tie or take the lead in the eighth inning with guys on second and third UW-Platteville could only manufacture one run, 4-3.
Freshman Casey Schroeder recorded two of the Pioneer three hits while fellow rookie George Jester III accounted for the other.
Senior Bill Oppriecht suffered the loss but was able to keep the Pioneers within striking distance. Freshman Austin Daniels came in relief and threw three scoreless innings and only gave up two hits.
GAME TWO: UW-Platteville 8, UW-Superior 0
The Pioneer bats finally came alive in the first inning scoring three runs on three hits. Junior Zach Demmon, sophomore Evan Greco and senior Jon Lewerke all recorded RBI singles in the inning.
The Pioneer broke the game open in the third inning taking a 8-0 lead. Sophomore Bobby Bean started the frame with a single and scored two batters later. Freshman Tanner Galeazzi singled up the middle to score Greco before Jester cleared the bases with a two-RBI double to right field.
Sophomore Mike Boushley continued to plow through the Yellowjacket hitters and ended up striking out seven and only allowed four hits in seven innings of work, while fellow sophomore Trevor Hall came in to close the game out with two scoreless innings.
Jester, Greco and Lewerke all tallied two hits.
The Pioneers will look to win the four-game weekend series over UW-Superior on Sunday starting at noon.
