Stevens Point Comes From Behind to Complete 4-Game Sweep

STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- For the fourth consecutive game against nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team was unable to hold on to an early lead, eventually succumbing to the #15 Pointers 11-4 on Tuesday afternoon in Stevens Point.  The loss dropped the Pioneers overall record to 12-17 and 10-12 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.  UWSP improved to 28-6 and 19-5 in the WIAC.  

As was the case in each game of Monday's rare tripleheader between the two teams, it was the Pioneers jumping out in front early.  Platteville pushed across three runs in the 2nd inning off Pointer starter, Nick Paulson, with the big blow coming off the bat of second baseman Slate Higa (Fr./Honolulu, Hawaii).  With one run already in and two runners on with two out, the Pioneers' nine-hole hitter ripped a 2-RBI triple down the right field line, scoring Jake Wegner (So./Reedsburg, Wis.) and Mitchell McLaughlin (Jr./Amboy, Ill.) and giving the Pioneers a 3-0 lead.  An inning later, Platteville plated another run when, with two out and nobody on Jason Adams (Jr./Burlington, Wis.), McLaughlin, and Zach McCoy (Sr./Modesto, Cal.) strung together three straight singles, the last scoring Adams to put the visitors up 4-0.

Platteville starting pitcher, Parker Heidorf (So./Sherwood, Wis.) kept the UWSP bats quiet through the first three innings, striking out two and walking none.  The big righthander ran into trouble in the fourth however, walking the bases loaded to start the frame.  A sacrifice fly to center marked the first out of the inning but also put the Pointers on the board, 4-1.  After a Logan Matson single cut the Pioneer lead to 4-2, Platteville came within a step of getting out of the jam with their lead in tact.  With two on and one out, Matt Baumann hit a two hopper to short.  McCoy fielded and flipped to Higa for the force but Higa's relay to first was not in time to get a hustling Baumann.  Stevens Point took advantage with three straight two out hits, giving them their first lead, 6-4.

The Pioneer bats could not break through Pointer pitching after the third as relievers Marcus Jaworski and Tyler Beyer came on to work six scoreless frames, scattering five hits.

The Stevens Point offense added two insurance runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth off reliever Brady Hubbard.  Hubbard only allowed one hit in his four innings of work but walked four and hit four others.

Jaworski earned the win in relief to move to 2-0 on the season.  Heidorf took the loss, falling to 1-1.

Adams finished the afternoon 3-5 at the plate, improving his season average to .440.

The schedule gets no easier for the Pioneers as the team will host #7 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for a pair of doubleheaders Friday and Saturday.  Game times for Friday's games are currently set for 1pm and 4pm.  Saturday's twinbill will begin at 12p at Kendall Murray Field with game two beginning roughly 30 minutes after the end of game one.