Pioneers Complete Weekend Sweep of Lions

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball picked up three victories over Finlandia University on Saturday.  After the Pioneers completed a suspended game from the night before with a 8-2 victory, they swept a Day 2 doubleheader against the Lions by scores of 6-3 and 12-2.  Platteville won all four games in the weekend series to move to 8-2 on the season (4-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).  Finlandia leaves southeast Wisconsin still in search of its first victory in 2021 (0-10, 0-4).  The home games at Kendall Murray Field were the first for the Pioneers since May 4, 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the 2020 season before the team was able to play any home contests.  After beginning the season with six straight road games, the Pioneers will remain mostly at home in the upcoming week.  UW-La Crosse will be in town for a doubleheader on Tuesday.  Then next weekend the same two teams will participate in a home/home doubleheader set with Friday's twinbill taking place in La Crosse before the teams return to Platteville Saturday to complete the six-game, weeklong series.

The home doubleheaders on Tuesday and Saturday will be broadcast via the athletics website:  https://letsgopioneers.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/schedule.

WP - Sam Hernandez (2-1)
LP  - Brandon Hale (0-2)
SV - Ian Schildgen (1) 

As was the case in Game 1 on Friday, the defenses struggled on both sides combining to commit 8 errors which led to five of the game's nine runs being unearned.  Platteville drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when CF Jonny Kelso (Jr./Villa Park, Ill.) singled to right, stole second, stole third, and scampered home on Lion catcher Harrison Kampf's throwing error.  The Pioneers scored in the first three innings as they built an early 5-0 advantage.  Grant Mullins (Fr./Greenville, Wis.), who batted seventh in head coach Chad Harris' line-up on Friday was moved up to third in the order on Saturday, a move paid immediate dividends as Mullins had the game's hardest hit balls in his final two at-bats; a triple to straight away center in the fifth and a double to the gap in left center in the seventh.  Mullins finished the game 2-4, reached base three times, and scored twice.  

Pioneer starter Sam Hernandez (Fr./Malone, Wis.) followed up a solid outing vs. UW-La Crosse his last time out with another quality start.  Hernandez, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Eagles on 3/28, began Saturday by retiring the first nine batters he faced in order.  Platteville errors in the fourth (1) and sixth (2) innings helped contribute to the Lions scoring single tallies in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to pull within three, 6-3.  Despite the miscues, Hernandez maintained great control all afternoon, scaterring five hits, walking none, and striking out six en route to his second win of the season.

Ian Schildgen (Sr./Fitchburg, Wis.) pitched the final three innings to pick up his first career save.  Schildgen quieted the Lion bats late, allowing no runs or hits and lowering his season ERA to 1.29.

WP - Shane Nolan (1-0)
LP  - Eastyn Culp (0-1)

Shane Nolan (Sr./Lake Zurich, Ill.) struck out a career-high 10 Lion batters in a dominating seven inning performance.  Just as teammate Sam Hernandez did in Game 1, Nolan retired the first nine batters he faced in order including striking out the side in the second. 

"I've told Shane for two years that his stuff is very competitive but he has to be in the zone," said Harris, "today he showed just how good he can be.  I'm so happy for him because his work ethic and passion are unquestionable."

While Nolan was cruising on the mound, the Pioneer bats were building an insurmountable lead. Platteville did the majority of its damage in the middle innings, scoring 8 runs between the fourth through sixth frames.  As was the case all weekend, Jason Adams (So./Burlington, Wis.) was in the middle of the action.  Adams, who was a combined 7-9 from the plate in Friday's games, continued his torrid hitting in Game 2 on Saturday.  The Pioneer lead-off hitter reached base in all six of hit plate appearances collecting three hits and drawing walks three other times.

"Jason Adams gave us a big spark at the top that we needed," said Harris, "this weekend the results speak for themselves."

Kelso drove in four runs, drilling a 2-run single in the third inning and a 2-run double in the eighth.  The latter put Platteville up by 10 and ended the game via conference run rule.  After Finlandia pitcher Brandon Hale went the distance in Game 1, the Lions utilized six different pitchers in Game 2 with all but one surrendering at least one run.  RHP Alex Tallman, who gave up five runs in one inning of the work in Friday's opener, pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball in Game 2 on Saturday.  Eastyn Culp started for Finlandia, lasted four innings in giving up 5 runs (3 earned), and took the loss.