Pioneers Drop Two In Kansas On Sunday

TOPEKA, Kan. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (0-3) played two more games in Topeka on Sunday afternoon falling 4-1 to Luther (3-3) in the first game before dropping a 13-3 decision in seven innings to Augustana (Ill.) in game two.

Luther opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second on an RBI single and a two-out solo home run. The Norse added another in the fourth as a pair of walks and a double made it 3-0. In the Pioneers half of the fifth, a single by sophomore Slate Higa and a double by senior Grant Mullins led the UW-Platteville's first run of the game on an RBI groundout by sophomore Justin Fago. Luther scored once more in the bottom of the fifth and the Pioneers were unable to get much going offensively in the final four innings.

The Pioneers recorded six hits in the first game, with Fago recording the team's lone RBI. Sophomore Brady Hoppert was charged with the loss after allowing three runs in four innings. Senior Sam Hernandez pitched well in relief, throwing the final four innings and allowing just one run while striking out six.

Against Augustana (Ill.), a three-run first inning put the Vikings in front early. Freshman Mason Molitor double to score one for the Pioneers in the fourth and freshman Charlie Breen hit his third home run of the season to cut the deficit to 7-3. The Vikings tacked on six in the bottom of the fifth and won 13-3 in seven innings.

Mullins and sophomore Chris Tsouras each tallied two hits for UW-Platteville while Breen finished with two RBI. Junior Parker Heidorf (0-1) was charged with the loss on the mound.

The Pioneers will return to action on Saturday, March 18 when they face Carroll (Wis.) to being a four-game trip in Pensacola, Florida.