Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned a sweep of UW-Platteville Wednesday afternoon at Copeland Park in the Eagles' home opener.  UW-L won the first game, 12-3, and the nightcap, 13-2 in seven innings.  The Eagles improve to 11-9 overall and 5-3 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while the Pioneers drop to 5-15 overall and 2-6 in the WIAC.  

UW-L got things rolling right out of the gates in the first game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Taylor Kohlwey led-off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bryce Barsness.  Barsness was able to reach base on a fielding error by the Pioneers.  Cole Cefalu's sacrifice fly scored Kohlwey for a 1-0 lead.  After an Alex Cordova single, Travis Buxton-Verstegen ripped a two-run double to right center field to score  Barsness and Cordova to make it 3-0.  Buxton-Verstegen later came around to score on a UW-Platteville fielding error.

The Pioneers answered back in the top of the second to cut the lead to 4-1 on a George Jester III home run. 

UW-L added three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it 7-1.  After Shane Adler walked, Barsness singled up the middle with moving Adler to third after a Pioneers' error.  Cefalu followed with a double to center field to score both Adler and Barsness.  Buxton-Verstegen later doubled to the left center field gap to score Cefalu for a 7-1 advantage.  

UW-Platteville cut into the lead in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs on Ryan Duva's double scoring Tanner Galeazzi and Ryan Lehmann to make it 7-3. 

UW-L answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-3 lead on a Kohlwey solo home run and Cordova's double to knock in Cefalu.  The Eagles tailled three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Kohlwey got it started once again with an infield single.  After back-to-back singles by Barsness and Cefalu, Cordova was able to drive in Barsness with a sacrifice fly.  Buxton-Verstegen then singled to left center to score Cefalu. 

Jameson Lavery (1-1) earned the victory for the Eagles, going 5.1 innings, allowing five hits, three runs and eight walks while striking out seven.  Kohlwey went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI while Cefalu finished 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI and Buxton-Verstegen 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI.  Barsness finished 2-for-3 with three runs while Cordova went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. 

Scott Drake (0-3) took the loss for UW-Plattevile, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing six hits, seven runs (five earned) and two walks. Duva went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk.

UW-L took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning In the nightcap on a run-scoring single from Cordova and a sacrifice fly from Buxton-Verstegen. The Eagles added six runs in the second inning to make it 8-0.  Kohlwey's double scored Nick Barnes and Josh Rowles for a 4-0 lead and Barsness greeted the Pioneers' relief pitcher with a two-run home run to right centerfield to score Kohlwey. Cordova later scored on a Buxton-Verstegen double and Timmy Kehren's infield single knocked in Buxton-Verstegen. 

The Eagles added solo runs in the third and fourth inning with Barnes scoring in the third and then delivering an RBI double in the fourth. UW-Platteville scored twice in the fifth inning as Galeazzi came in a single from Duva, who later scored on a UW-L fielding error. UW-L finished the scoring on Cefalu's three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Shane Adler (2-1) earned the victory, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing six hits, two runs (one earned) and three walks with five strikeouts. Cordova went 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI while Cefalu finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI.  Kohlwey went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI and Barsness 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.  Barnes scored twice. 

Jonny Frese (0-2) took the loss for UW-Platteville, going 1.1 innings, allowing five hits and five runs (four earned). Six different players had a hit for the Pioneers. 

UW-L returns to action Saturday, April 12 hosting UW-Whitewater in a doubleheader starting at noon at Copeland Park.  It will be UW-L's Baseball Fan Frenzy and Copeland Kickoff Party.