ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team (5-2) held a one-run lead in the seventh inning, but No. 12 Washington University (11-3) scored four runs in the bottom half of the frame to take an 8-5 win on Wednesday afternoon inside Irv Utz Stadium.

After the Bears put one on the board in the bottom of the first via a sacrifice fly, the Pioneers tied the game in the top of the second on a solo home run by senior Mason Molitor.
In the third, back-to-back singles by junior Evan Bohr and sophomore Trinity Beland and a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kaleb Elwood put a pair of runners in scoring position. Sophomore Anthony Massa capitalized by driving in Bohr with a sacrifice fly to put UW-Platteville in front 2-1.

WashU answered with a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly in the third to tie the game before adding two more runs in the fifth to go ahead 4-2. The Pioneers responded with two of their own in the top of the sixth thanks to a RBI single by junior Dylan Rippentrop and a fielding error that allowed junior Tarron Bockhop to score.

UW-Platteville regained the lead in the top of the seventh as Massa knocked in Elwood to make it 5-4. But the Bears scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to flip the score in their favor, 8-5. The Pioneers were unable to get much offense going in their final two at-bats as WashU collected the win.

On the mound, freshman Carver Kamentz was dealt the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) across the final three innings. Senior Pierce Nelson got the start for the Pioneers, allowing four earned runs across five innings while striking out four.

UW-Platteville totaled nine hits in the loss, with Beland leading the way with a 2-for-4 performance while also reaching base via a hit by pitch. Molitor homered and got on two other times also by hit by pitch.

The Pioneers will face MSOE tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Rantoul, Illinois.