MENOMONIE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (13-11, 8-8 WIAC) showcased its power against UW-Stout (9-19, 7-9 WIAC) in a doubleheader on Friday, hitting 10 home runs across two wins. The Pioneers started the day with a 6-3 win before rolling to a 19-8 win in seven innings in the second game from Wakanda Park.

Game One

Senior Jake Wegner threw a complete game, the Pioneers second of the season, while limiting UW-Stout to three runs across six hits and striking out a season-high 12 batters. The only runs for the Blue Devils in the contest came on a solo home run in the first, an RBI single in the third, and another solo home run in the fifth.

Following UW-Stout's first inning home run, senior Justin Fago tied the game with a solo home run of his own. The long ball continued to be a factor for the Pioneers, as senior Slate Higa erased a one-run deficit in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer to right field to put UW-Platteville up 3-2.

The Blue Devils tied the game in the fifth, but sophomore Caleb Parker drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and later came in to score on a wild pitch to help the Pioneers regain the lead. Wegner helped himself out at the plate, capping the scoring for game one with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth.

The Pioneers finished with six hits in game one, led by two hits from Fago. Three of the team's six hits were home runs.

Game Two

UW-Stout hit a pair of two-run home runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Pioneers answered with a 10-run second frame to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Junior Sam Meidenbauer led off the inning with a home run, and Parker singled to center field to drive in another run. The final eight runs of the inning all came with two outs, starting with a two-run double by Wegner. Freshman Anthony Massa brought home Wegner with a single before Fago cleared the bases with a two-run homer. Meidenbauer greeted a new bullpen arm with a home run, his second of the inning, and sophomore Connor Gresens capped the inning with a two-run home run of his own.

The Blue Devils cut the deficit in half with a four-run bottom of the second on a grand slam, but UW-Platteville responded again with four more in the third. Fago drove in the first run via a groundout, and Gresens brought home two more with a single. Freshman Trinity Beland wrapped up the frame with a single to left, making it 14-8 in favor of the Pioneers.

UW-Platteville scored the final five runs of the game to win 19-8 in seven innings. Fago hit his second home run of the game and third of the day in the fourth, and Parker ripped a double down the right field line to score another run in the fifth. Meidenbauer hit his third home run of the game in the sixth, scoring Fago, and Gresens hit his second in the sixth to conclude the Pioneers scoring outburst.

Senior Isaac Bixby picked up the win on the mound after bouncing back following a rough first two innings where he allowed eight runs. He finished with five innings pitched while striking out two to improve to 4-2 on the year. Junior Pierce Nelson entered in relief and held the Blue Devils scoreless over the final two innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.

The Pioneers finished with 19 hits, including seven home runs and three doubles. Parker, Wegner, Massa, Meidebauer, and Gresens all had three-hit games, with Gresens driving in a team-high five runs. Meidebauer and Fago each finished with four RBI.

Up Next

UW-Platteville will play the final two games of the weekend series with UW-Stout tomorrow starting at noon.