Pioneers’ offense quieted by Bethel

Written by Colten Bartholomew, UW-Platteville Sports Information Intern

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team could not overcome Bethel's consistent scoring in a 11-4 loss on Wednesday.

The Pioneers got on the scoreboard quickly in their half of the first, as right fielder Tanner Galeazzi drilled a two-run homer to right, notching his first deep bomb of the young season.

However, Bethel answered with four runs in the next frame to take the lead. Pioneer starter Kale Pusitna, a freshman from Mt. Horeb, Wis., had a tough day on the hill, pitching just 1.1 innings and issuing four walks.

Bethel posted two more runs in the third inning to push their lead to 6-2, and then pushed a run across in both the fifth and sixth innings, and two in the seventh to widen the gap to 10-2.

UW-Platteville's offense broke through its slump when Tyler Trautsch put a ball over the right field fence in the seventh, which was his first dinger of the year as well. In the eighth, the Pioneers got another run on a bases-loaded, RBI groundout from third baseman Zach Iverson.

Bethel got an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth to set the final score at 11-4.

The Pioneers will be gunning for their first win in Fort Myers in a noon game against McDaniel.