Pioneers Celebrate Senior Day With Sweep

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – On Senior Day, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (10-10, 5-7 WIAC) picked up a pair of wins over UW-River Falls (9-14, 3-9 WIAC) by scores of 14-10 and 11-6 on Saturday afternoon from Kendall Murray Field.

Game One

The Pioneers tallied the first two runs of the game in the bottom half of the first, scoring the first on a bases loaded walk by freshman Anthony Massa and getting another on a double play groundout that brought home sophomore Caleb Parker. UW-Platteville would load the bases again the second and got a sacrifice fly by freshman Trinity Beland to make it 3-0.

UW-River Falls scored twice in the top half of the fourth to make it a one run game, but a pair of two-run home runs by junior Mason Molitor and senior Jake Wegner increased the Pioneers lead back up to five. UW-Platteville continued to add to the lead with a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth, including a two-run single by senior Brady Katterhagen before the Falcons answered with a five-run seventh to cut it to 11-7.

UW-Platteville hit two more home runs in the game, a two-run shot by Wegner in the seventh and a solo home run by senior Justin Fago in the eighth to help secure the 14-10.

Senior Isaac Bixby (3-2) got the win on the mound, finishing with a quality start of six innings and two runs allowed. Sophomore Peerson Kephart picked up the save after throwing the final three innings, his third of the year.

The Pioneers finished with 11 total hits, with Wegner, Massa, Fago, Molitor, and senior Slate Higa each recording multi-hit games. The offense finished with five extra-base hits, including four home runs and a triple by Massa.

Game Two

UW-Platteville got on the board in the first inning for a second straight game, as Massa drove in Beland with an RBI groundout before Parker crossed the plate on a wild pitch. The Pioneers tacked on four more in the second, getting an RBI bunt single by senior Grant Bossert and an RBI single by Higa before Parker doubled in two more runs to make it 6-0.

The Falcons tallied one run in the third, and the scoring quieted down until a seventh inning home run by UW-River Falls made it 6-3. The home team pulled away over the next two innings, scoring two on a triple to center by Fago before posting a three-run eighth inning. The first of those three runs scored via a throwing error, followed by a sacrifice fly by Beland and a bases loaded hit by pitch from Xavier Lara that brought in the Pioneers final run.

UW-River Falls scored three in the top of the ninth, but the deficit was too great to overcome as the Pioneers won 11-6.

Senior Brady Hoppert (3-2) gave the Pioneers a second strong start on the day, throwing six innings of one run ball while striking out five. Junior Pierce Nelson entered in relief and collected his first save of the year after throwing the final three innings.

The Pioneers recorded 11 hits for the second straight game, led by a 3-for-5 game from Wegner. Parker, Molitor, and Bossert each finished with multipe hits in the win.

Up Next

The Pioneers wrap up the four game series with UW-River Falls tomorrow with another doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at noon.