STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team (13-13, 5-7) dropped a pair of home league games to UW-Platteville (11-14, 6-6) to open the weekend series. The Pointers scored nine runs, but fell in game one, 18-9. In game two, an early lead evaporated in an 8-3 loss. The defeats dropped the Pointers to 1-7 at home this season.
Senior
Kyle Mrozinski (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) collected five hits on the day, including a home run. He drove in three and scored four runs for UWSP.
Sophomore
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) added four hits. He drove in five and scored a run in game one.
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) and
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) also had two hits for the Pointers.
Game 1 – UWSP 9, UWP 18
Walks continued to haunt the Pointers as the Pioneers took a 5-0 in the second inning. Four walks, a hit batter and two hits led to the five-run frame.
Another hit batter and a UWSP error combined with two hits added four runs to the UWP lead in the third.
Mrozinski started a UWSP rally in the fourth with a leadoff double.
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) drew a walk and both runners scored on a
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) triple. Comer plated Nelson with a sac fly to cut the deficit to 9-3.
The Pioneers scored a run in the fifth as a walk came in to score on a double. In the sixth, UWP piled on six more runs on five hits and two more walks to take a 16-3 lead.
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) was hit by a pitch, the second of three times in the game, to begin the seventh.
Tommy Duddleston (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) drew a walk to put two aboard and Mrozinski singled to drive in the first run of the inning. Simmons drew a walk to load the bases and another run came in on a wild pitch.
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) continued the frame with a two-RBI single to cap the four-run inning.
After the Pioneers scored a run in the top of the eighth, UWSP got back to work in the bottom of the frame.
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) was hit with a pitch and
Ryan Stanicek (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) drew a walk. Mrozinski singled to drive home a run. Consecutive walks to Simmons and
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) pushed home another run.
The Pioneers tacked on a run in the ninth as UWP catcher Logan Kozak completed the cycle with an RBI single.
Game 2 – UWSP 3, UWP 8
Mrozinski deposited the first pitch in the bottom of the first onto Illinois Ave. for his team-leading fourth home run of the year to put UWSP ahead, 1-0.
UWP put single tallies on the board in the second and the third to take a 2-1 lead.
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) doubled to begin the fourth inning. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Nate Jackan (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln), he scored on a sac fly by
Bradley Hansen (Racine, Wis./Union Grove) to tie the game at 2-2.
The Pioneers turned four hits and a UWSP error into four runs in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. Another scored in the sixth as the lead grew to 7-2 for UWP.
In the seventh, Mrozinski walked with one away, Simmons followed with a double and a run scored on a wild pitch.
The Pioneers added a run in the ninth without the benefit of a hit as a walk scored on the fourth UWSP error of the game.
The Pointers and Pioneers wrap up the season series with a twin bill on Saturday (April 20). First pitch at University Field is scheduled for 12;00 p.m. Saturday is Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day for the Pointers.
