La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team split a doubleheader with UW-Platteville Sunday afternoon at Copeland Park. The Pioneers took the opener, 2-1, before the Eagles came back to win the nightcap, 10-9.  UWL is now 5-1 on the season while UW-Platteville is 4-2. 

Each team had four hits in the opener. The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when UW-Platteville got a pair of runs. Logan Kozak doubled with one out and scored on a two-run home run by Grant Mullins. The Pioneers later loaded the bases as three players where hit-by-pitch, but the Eagles' Alex Mach came in relief of starter Sawyer Phillips and got a ground out to end the inning.  

UWL, receiving votes on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll, was held without a hit until the bottom of the sixth on Zach Carney's infield single to start the inning, but was later caught stealing. In the bottom of the seventh, UWL's Jordan Williams walked with one out and advanced to second on failed pick-off attempt by UW-Platteville. He was stranded at second after a pair of ground outs. 

The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Parker Plume singled to start the inning and moved to second on Connor Roesler's sacrifice bunt. Carney's infield single advanced Plume to third and Jack Kelly followed with a sacrifice fly to knock in Plume to cut the lead to 2-1. 

UWL loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Williams walked and went to third on pinch-hitter Spencer Hans' double down the left field line. Ethan Gerstner was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Plume grounded into a double play to end the game.

Phillips (1-1) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing four hits, two runs and two walks while striking out four. Mach went 4.1 innings, recording four strikeouts. The Eagles had four hits with Carney going 2-for-4.  

Sam Hernandez (1-1) picked up the win for UW-Platteville, going 7.0 innings, allowing one hit and four walks with five strikeouts. Nate Jennings earned the save for the Pioneers, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and two walks with one strikeout. UW-Platteville had four hits in the opener with Mullins finishing with one run and two RBI. 

In the nightcap, UW-Platteville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Dan Opem's sacrifice fly to score Jason Adams. UWL responded in the bottom of the inning as Carney opened with a single and scored on Kelly's two-run home run to right center field to give UWL its first lead in the doubleheader. 

Each team scored a run in the third. Jonathan Kelso scored on Ryan Vogel's groundout for UW-Platteville to tie the game at 2-2, but UWL regained the lead in the bottom of the inning with Kelly coming in on Jonathan Wizner's triple to make it 3-2.  Mullins' two-run home run in the top of the fourth gave the Pioneers a 4-3 lead and UW-Platteville added to its lead in the fifth on Vogel's RBI groundout for a 5-3 advantage. Wizner's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth scored Connor Roesler to cut the deficit to 5-4. 

The Pioneers made it 8-4 with three runs in the top of the sixth. Kelso had an RBI double in the inning. The Eagles responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 8-7. Ty Hamilton had a bunt single to score Mac Born to cut it to 8-5. Carney's sacrifice fly scored Plume and Hamilton came in on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game. 

UW-Platteville took a 9-7 lead in the seventh when Dan Opem scored on a UWL throwing error. The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Roesler's fielder's choice to score Williams while Carney followed with a two-out single to knock in Born to tie the game.  UWL scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Wizner walked to start the inning and moved to second on Shane Coker's sacrifice bunt. Williams reached on a fielder's choice with Wizner being thrown out trying to advance to third. Born then followed with an RBI double to score Williams with the go-ahead run.

Matl (1-0) earned the win for UWL, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing four hits, one unearned run and one walk with four strikeouts. Ben Byom started for the Eagles, going 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, five runs and three walks while striking out four. UWL totaled 12 hits in the nightcap with Carney, Wizner, Williams and Born each finishing with two. Carney, Kelly and Wizner each had two RBI while Kelly, Williams and Born scored twice. 

Ian Schildgen (0-1) suffered the loss for UW-Platteville, going 1.0 inning, allowing one hit, one run, and two walks. Shane Nolan started, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs and three walks while striking out four. The Pioneers had nine hits in the second game with Kelso finishing 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Austin Pullara went 2-for-4.

UWL returns to action Wednesday, March 31 with a doubleheader at UW-Whitewater at 1 p.m.