Pioneers fall in Sunday doubleheader
Pioneer comeback bids in both games of their doubleheader Sunday fell short, as the Platteville nine fell 8-2 and 8-7 at Kendall Murray Field.
Written by Colten Bartholomew, UW-Platteville Sports Information Intern
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- Pioneer comeback bids in both games of their doubleheader Sunday fell short, as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team fell 8-2 and 8-7 at Kendall Murray Field.
Big days from Zach Demmon, Ryan Duva and Casey Schroeder could not prevent the Pioneers from getting swept.
Game One
The Pioneers struggled early in Sunday's opener to put together rallies against UW-Stout's starter Brent Mueller.
In the second inning, UW-Stout managed to score the first run of the game on a sac fly, and then in the third, the Blue Devils hit the first of their two two-run home runs to push the lead to 3-0.
After the Blue Devils scored in the fourth and the fifth, the Pioneers found themselves down 6-0, but were starting to catch up with Mueller's fastball and get on base.
UW-Platteville broke through in the seventh, used three consecutive hits to score two runs to slim the margin, but UW-Stout added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth and quelled a Pioneer rally in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-2 win.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers got solid production from Todd Wienkes. He went 3-4, recording two singles and a double, an RBI and a run scored. Centerfielder Duva also went 2-4 at the top of the lineup.
On the mound, Kevin Maher came into the game in the seventh in relief of starter Jonny Frese and retired the first six batters he faced.
Game Two
After two scoreless frames to start the game, UW-Stout scored first on a throwing error by Mike Boushley, who made a great effort to field the grounder on the play.
UW-Platteville had a chance in the third, as Duva walked with two outs and then Schroeder moved him to third on a rocket double to left field that caromed off the wall, but the pair were left stranded.
The Blue Devils got a homer to left in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead, but the Pioneers tied it back up in their half on an RBI single from Ryan Lehmann and a sac fly from Wienkes.
A Pioneer error in the fifth ignited a four-run rally from UW-Stout.
UW-Platteville cut the Stout lead in half in their half of the fifth on back-to-back RBI hits from Zach Demmon and Tyler Trautsch.
Another two runs came across in the Devils' half of the sixth, helped by a pair of throwing errors.
In the seventh, Demmon swatted a two-run home run to left field to bring the score to 8-6. The blast was Demmon's fourth big fly of the week and second off the series.
The Pioneers entered the bottom of the ninth down 8-6, but quickly got the deficit to one when Duva led off with a double to deep center and Schroeder brought him home in the next at-bat. George Jester III then knocked a single to left field to put another runner on, but a double play from Demmon and a groundout from Trautsch ended the comeback bid.
UW-Platteville will return to the diamond Wednesday for a doubleheader at UW-La Crosse.
