Pioneers sweep No. 9 Pointers

Written  by Colten Bartholomew, UW-Platteville Sports Information Intern

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – After suffering a tough pair of losses Saturday, the Pioneer baseball team bounced back to sweep the UW-Stevens Point Pointers Sunday.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville won game one 13-7, and took a tightly-contested nightcap 3-2 in five innings. The wins mark the Pioneers' second and third victories over top-10 teams, as the Pioneers defeated the No. 4 Warhawks of UW-Whitewater April 1.

Game One

After allowing a run in the first, UW-Platteville answered with a four-run second in which the team brought 10 batters to the plate. The Pioneers loaded the bases with the first three batters and kept at least one runner on base the entire inning.

Todd Wienkes and Colin DeBoer had RBI singles, Ryan Duva brought in a runner on a sac fly and Zach Demmon scored on a wild pitch to give the Pioneers their first lead in the series.

UW-Stevens Point tied the game with a run in the second and two in the third, and then both starters settled in to shut down the opposing offense in the middle innings.

The Pioneers broke the tie in the sixth, as the squad again loaded the bases, and with two outs, shortstop Casey Schroeder notched a two-RBI single. In the next at-bat, designated hitter George Jester III drilled a two-RBI double to left.

In the seventh, the orange and blue again hung a four-spot, as DeBoer and Schroeder recorded RBIs, and Jester III plated two more with a single through the right side.

Pioneer starter Mike Boushley exited the game after the seventh with a 12-4 lead. Boushley fanned five in his seven innings of work, and just two of the runs he allowed were earned en route to his third win.

UW-Stevens Point added two in the eighth and one in the ninth, and the Pioneers added one in the ninth on a Jester III home run.

Jester III went 5-6 on in the game, and added five RBIs to pace the Pioneer offense.

Game Two

In an abbreviated nightcap, the Pioneers jumped on the board in the first via a throwing error that allowed John Walsh to score from third.

UW-Stevens Point tied the game in the second and took a one-run lead in the third, but Pioneer starter Austin Daniels was able to limit the damage in both innings.

In the decisive fifth inning, first baseman Zach Demmon roped a single into center with men on second and third to put the Pioneers ahead for good in a game ended early by rain.