No. 17 Augustana Manhandles Pioneers, 39-7

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville wrestling team was overmatched by No. 17 Augustana, 39-7, on Tuesday night in Williams Fieldhouse. 

The Pioneers only victories came from 165-pound Randy Wade and 197-pound Abe Granziano. Wade took down the Vikings' Torey Welch with 12 seconds left in the final period earning the 2-1 victory, and Granziano manhandled Auggies' Jake Melik, recording an 8-0 win. 

The Pioneers travel to Philadelphia for the Will Abele Invitational, hosted by Ursinus College, on Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

Match-by-match recap 

125 – UW-Platteville's Cole Ferguson took an early lead on a takedown, 2-0. The Vikings' Jimmy Pannozzo escaped and ended the first-period with a takedown, leading 3-2 going into the second. Ferguson escaped to begin the second-period tying the match up 3-3. Pannozzo took a 4-3 advantage with an escape to begin the final-period and finished the third-period with two takedowns and added a bonus point for riding time earning the 9-4 victory. 

Team Score: 3-0, Augustana  

133 – Augustana's Jacob Scholten won by forfeit 

Team Score: 9-0, Augustana 

141 – After a scoreless first, UW-Platteville's Tyler Henken finally escaped with 45 seconds left in the second-period taking a 1-0 lead.  An illegal hold by Henken tied the match up one apiece going into the final period. No one could earn that match-winning point in the third period, but inn overtime Auguastana's Hector Ruiz took the victory with a takedown in the first 15 seconds of extra time earning the 3-1 victory. 

Team Score: 12-0, Augustana 

149 – Augustana's Walter Piech pinned Aaron Bonnell with 1:22 left in the second period. 

Team Score: 18-0, Augustana 

157 – Augustana's Kevin Sundberg pinned Robbie Kerr in the final minute of the first-period. 

Team Score: 24-0, Augustana 

165 – After a scoreless first period, the Vikings' Torey Welch earned a point on a escape with a minute left in the second.  With 12 seconds left in the match, UW-Platteville's Randy Wade took down Welch earning the 2-1 victory. 

Team Score: 24-3, Augustana 

174 – Augustana's Connor Cummings took down the Pioneers' Nathan Schmitz taking a 2-0 lead in the first-period. Cummings gave Schmitz the one-point escape and then recorded two takedowns taking an 8-3 at the end of the second-period. Cummings registered a reversal and three takedowns earning the 17-6 victory in the final period. 

Team Score: 27-3, Augustana 

184 – Augustana's Jordan Richardson pinned Laquan Hightower in the final seconds of the third-period. 

Team Score: 33-3, Augustana 

197 – UW-Platteville's Abe Granziano gained a 2-0 lead on a takedown in the first. Granziano escaped to start the second-period and managed to take down Augustana's Jake Melike for a 5-0 lead. Granziano finished the final minute of the match with a takedown earning an 8-0 victory. 

Team Score: 33-7, Augustana 

HWT – The Viking's Abe Duran pinned Cody Soderstrom with 19 seconds left in third-period.

Final Team Score: 39-7, Augustana