RANTOUL, Ill. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (1-1) split with Elmhurst (1-1) to begin the 2026 season on Friday afternoon. The Pioneers took game one 8-3 before falling on a walk-off in game two by a score of 10-9 in Rantoul, Illinois.

Game One
Junior Tarron Bockhop got the scoring started in game one, as his RBI single to left field drove in senior Connor Gresens in the first inning. The Pioneers added to the early lead in the second, as sophomore Anthony Massa singled in another run.

After Elmhurst got on the board in the top of the fifth, freshman Kaleb Elwood doubled in Bockhop to increase the lead back to two. The Blue Jays got one back in the sixth, but an RBI double by junior Caleb Parker and a two-run home run by Massa made it 6-2. Elwood scored on an error in the seventh, while sophomore Trinity Beland ripped a double to plate senior Mason Molitor to get UW-Platteville to eight runs. Elmhurst scored once in the ninth but fell 8-3.

Senior Jordan Stanton earned the win on the mound with a quality start, throwing six innings while allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out five. Sophomore Brayden Schimmel collected a three-inning save while picking up five strikeouts and allowing one run.

At the plate, UW-Platteville recorded 15 hits, with three-hit performances from Massa, Gresens, and Elwood. Massa finished with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored to pace the Pioneers.

Game Two
The Pioneers jumped out to an early advantage in game two by scoring seven runs in the top half of the first. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, Bockhop doubled home the first two runs. Elwood drove in two more with a single, and Molitor hit UW-Platteville's second double of the inning to score Elwood and sophomore Xander Martinez. Freshman Brayden Knoll plated the final run of the frame with an RBI groundout.

Elmhurst answered with four runs in the first and another four in the second inning to take the 8-7 lead. Both offenses quieted for the next several innings until Parker connected on a solo home run to tie the game in the seventh.

Knoll singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, but UW-Platteville was unable to hold on to the lead in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back singles and a hit batter loaded the bases for Elmhurst, and a single to left drove in two runs to conclude the game on the walk-off.

After Elmhurst's offense scored eight runs in the first two innings, freshmen Carver Kamentz and Kane Chappell stepped in and pitched well. Kamentz threw 3.2 innings while allowing just one run and striking out six. Chappell was saddled with the loss after giving up the two in the ninth, but he tossed 3.1 innings and struck out five.

UW-Platteville totaled another 12 hits in game two, with Elwood finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Beland, Parker, and Knoll also had multi-hit games for the Pioneers.

Up Next
The Pioneers remain in Rantoul, Illinois for two more games tomorrow afternoon. UW-Platteville faces Beloit at noon before taking on Wisconsin Lutheran at 3:30 p.m.