Pioneers Sweep Blugolds

EAU CLAIRE, WIS -- For the first time since the inception of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1997 the University of Wisconsin -- Platteville and University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire squared off on a baseball field.  The Pioneers swept a doubleheader in Eau Claire Thursday night, 7-2 and 11-3.  The games were played at Bollinger Field in Eau Claire after twice being re-scheduled; first from Platteville due to field conditions and then from Waupun because of weather.  The wins move Platteville to 3-1 on the season while Eau Claire falls to 0-4.  The teams will meet six more times this season with four of the six counting as WIAC conference match-ups.  The 2021 baseball season is the first for the Blugold baseball program since 1995.  The Pioneers return to action this Saturday in a non-conference doubleheader at UW-La Crosse.  Gametimes are scheduled for 1p and 4p.  

FINAL / GAME 1

The Pioneers tallied runs in 4 of the first 5 innings to build a 7-1 advantage in the early goings of game one.  Platteville's early run barrage was highlighted by the first home run of DH Andrew Zakula's (So. / Oak Creek, Wis.) college career.  The solo shot led off the 3rd inning and was the first of two runs the Pioneers would tally in the frame.  A trio of Pioneer pitchers would make that lead stand.  Michael Greco (Jr. / Bolingbrook, Ill.) took the ball first for head coach Chad Harris' crew.  Greco worked the first four innings, allowing only 2 hits and 1 earned run while striking out six.  Zach Lieb (So. / Pearl City, Ill.) followed Greco and provided the Pioneers with 2 1/3 innings of 3 hit, 1 run relief.  For the second straight game, Nate Jennings (Jr. / Arena, Wis.) threw 2 2/3 innings of relief to preserve a Platteville win.  Jennings was untouched in his outing Thursday night, allowing just one walk while striking out two in notching his second win on the young season.  

Zakula finished the opener 3-6 from the plate while lead-off hitter Ben Espinoza (Jr. / Villa Park, Ill.) filled the stat sheet going 2-4, scoring a pair, and driving in a pair.  The Pioneers were active on the basepaths stealing three bases in four attempts.

FINAL / GAME 2

Sam Arnold (Fr. / Des Plaines, Ill.) posted 5 no-hit innings in his first college start and the Pioneers batted around in the third, scoring 7 runs as Platteville cruised to an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.  Arnold put together one of the most unique no-hit pitching lines, giving up 2 runs (1 earned), walking two, hitting two others, and striking out five while securing his first win of the season.  After the adventurous five innings, Coach Harris decided to error on the side of caution with his young right hander.

"Like anybody in his shoes, he did not want to come out with his no-hitter in tact," said Harris.  "He handled it well.  I was proud of him.  But it's still very early in our season and his pitch count was getting up there and we still had some guys that needed to get some innings."

For the second straight game, the Pioneers jumped out front right away in the top of the first.  After loading the bases with just one out, Platteville scratched across a pair of runs on an RBI-groundout off the bat of Ross Krist (Jr. / Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) followed by Wyatt Molitor (Fr. / Reedsburg, Wis.) scoring on the next play after an error on Blugold 3B Otto Treichel.  

The Pioneers blew the game open in the third when they sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring 7 runs while knocking around 6 base hits.  Molitor was once again involved in the scoring, this time delivering the knockout blow, a two-out bases loaded double that cleared the bases and gave the visitors a 9-1 lead.  Zakula continued his hot hitting from game one by delivering two hits in the third inning alone.  Grant Mullins (Fr. / Greenville, Wis.) joined the hit parade rapping a 2-RBI double to begin the scoring in the third.

The 2-3-4 batters in the Pioneer order (Jonathan Kelso, Molitor, Zakula) gave Eau Claire pitching fits as they combined to amass 7 hits, 6 RBI, and score 5 runs in game two alone.

"I thought we really played well as a team today and came out with a lot of energy," Molitor said, "everyone executed and did their jobs, and we had a lot of fun doing it."