Pioneers Can't Tame Eagle Bats

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (8-4, 4-4 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (10-4, 5-3) on Friday in La Crosse.  In Game 1, the Eagles used a 7-run seventh inning to pull away and end the game via 10-run rule, 14-3.  In the nightcap, La Crosse rapped out 19 hits en route to registering 5-multi run innings.  The last of which, a four-run eighth ended the contest via run rule as well, 14-4.  The Pioneers defeated UWL, 2-1, in the teams' first meeting of the season on March 28th.  Since then, the Eagles have taken five straight from their WIAC rival.  The two teams will meet one more time in the 2021 season in a doubleheader on Tuesday April 13th.  Those games, scheduled to be played at Platteville's Kendall Murray Field, were moved from the originally scheduled Saturday, April 10th due to weather.

WP - Sawyer Phillips (3-1)
LP  - Sam Hernandez (2-2)

Jonny Kelso's (Jr./Villa Park, Ill.) third inning home run gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead at the time.  It was the centerfielder's second long ball in as many games.  The teams were tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth when the Eagles were able to take advantage of an error to score four runs (2 earned) off of starter Sam Hernandez (Fr./Malone, Wis.).  Both teams scored a run in the sixth making the score 7-3 heading into the decisive seventh.  After Platteville went down in order in the top of the inning, the Eagles came up in the decisive bottom half to face reliever Zach Lieb.

After the first three UWL hitters reached base, Lieb settled down and looked like he may be able to minimize the damage and hold the home team to a single run.  With two on and nobody out, Lieb got Tommy Nelson to fly out to center and Zach Carney to pop up to second.  When Conner Roesler's grounder on the left side was mis-handled for an error however, the rest of the inning unraveled in a hurry.  The next two Eagle hitters worked bases loaded walks before Mac Born stepped to the plate and delivered a game-ending grand slam over the fence in left field.

WP - Ben Byom (1-1)
LP  - Shane Nolan (1-1)

Things looked better for the Pioneers early on in game two as they began the game by loading the bases with nobody out vs. starter Ben Byom.  After a strikeout, an Austin Pullara (Fr./Morris, Ill.) single through the left side gave Platteville a 2-0 lead.  The Eagles would respond however with three runs in the first and two more in the second to put them up 5-2.  Platteville pulled to within one run in the fifth.  After once again loading the bases with nobody out, pushed two runs across via a UWL error and fielder's choice.  Once again, the Eagles responded with five more runs over the next two innings, with the big blow being another Mac Born home run, this time a three-run shot to center.

Up 10-4 in the bottom of the eighth, La Crosse's first six batters reached base via walks or singles, pushing across three runs.  An Andrew Rajkovich fielder's choice pushed across another run, extending the lead to 14-4 and ending the game.

Jason Adams had two of Platteville's four hits (So./Burlington, Wis.).  The Pioneer lead-off hitter is now batting .375 for the season.