Posted March 17, 2008
The UW-Platteville baseball team went 5-3 while playing four doubleheaders in five days in the St. Louis area.
The Pioneers split four games in Greenville (Ill.) Thursday and Friday, swept Maryville (Mo.) 5-1 and 8-6 Friday and split with Westminster (Mo.), losing 9-6 and winning 9-0.
The pitching staff has excelled early, with almost the entire staff returning intact from last season. Joe Lange threw seven innings in the 3-1 season opening win at Greenville; Aaron Daniels tossed six shutout innings in the 5-1 win at Maryville; and Wil Osmanski finished the trip with a two-hitter over six innings in the 9-0 win at Westminster. As a staff, the Pioneers have compiled a sparkling 3.23 earned-run average.
The Pioneers have clubbed four home runs in the trip, with senior Nick Aplin going deep twice. Steve Bomkamp and Mike Flood each hit one in the final game at Westminster to pace the win. Bomkamp also had a three-run triple in the sixth inning at Maryville, keying a sixth-run seventh inning. His blast to center field cleared the bases and turned a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 lead in a contest the Pioneers eventually win 8-6.
Shortstop Jerod Haxton hit .462 over the eight games, with five multi-hit performances. Outfielder Ross Bennett hit .387, while utility player Aplin finished at .368, and outfielder Gabe Neitzel hit .360.
The UW-Platteville bus left St. Louis Monday and headed further South. The Pioneers play at Huntingdon (Ala.) Wednesday night then play in Georgia Thursday and Friday.
The Pioneers' first game after returning is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 at NCAA Division I Northern Iowa. The first home doubleheaders are scheduled for March 29-30 against UW-Stout. Both twinbills are set for noon starts, if all the snow is off Kendall Murray Field.
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