Pioneers Earn Another Split With Pointers Sunday

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (7-9, 2-6 WIAC) earned a second straight split with UW-Stevens Point (7-11, 3-5 WIAC), falling 16-3 in eight innings in game one before winning 8-4 in game two on Sunday afternoon from Kendall Murray Field.

Game One

The Pointers put seven on the board in the first inning and added two more in the second inning to take a commanding 9-0 lead. The scoring quieted over the next couple innings until a three-run sixth inning for UW-Stevens Point pushed the advantage up to 12.

UW-Platteville scored its first runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh as back-to-back doubles by senior Slate Higa and freshman Trinity Beland made it 12-3. However, the Pointers added four more runs in the eighth, capped off by a two-run home run to take game one in eight innings by a score of 16-3.

Junior Jordan Stanton (1-2) was charged with the loss after giving up most of the runs in the first inning.

At the plate, the Pioneers finished with eight hits, with sophomore Caleb Parker posting a 3-for-4 performance. Higa finished 1-for-2 with a two-run double and walk.

Game Two

In game two, the Pioneers broke through first, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of two-out RBI singles by Parker and sophomore Tarron Bockhop. In the second inning, a leadoff walk by freshman Danny Hodel helped kickstart a six-run frame, making it 8-0 in favor of the Pioneers. Higa brought home Hodel for the first run of the inning, before junior Sam Meidenbauer drew a bases loaded walk for the second run. A fielder's choice groundout, an error, and a two-run double by freshman Anthony Massa helped score the other four runs of the inning.

UW-Platteville's starting pitcher Jake Wegner navigated out a couple of jams in the early innings, with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth and a bases loaded walk in the fifth the only runs charged to his statline. The senior allowed just two hits across his 4.2 innings pitched, but nine walks drove up his pitch count.

Wegner was replaced by sophomore Peerson Kephart (1-2), who tossed a strong 2.1 innings to help the Pioneers maintain the 8-0 lead. In the eighth, senior Conner Paulson escaped a bases loaded jam, getting a strike out, fly out, and another strikeout to strand three.

UW-Stevens Point threatened again in the ninth, getting a pair of runs on an error and a sacrifice fly, but the rally ended with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate on a long fly out to right field.

The Pioneers finished with seven hits, led by two from Beland. Five other players had at least one hit for UW-Platteville with Massa's second inning double the only extra base hit of the game.

Up Next

The Pioneers hit the road on Wednesday for a doubleheader at UW-La Crosse. Game times are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.