PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau baseball team continued Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play on Saturday with a shortened length doubleheader against UW-Platteville. Ryan Venne (So. – Eau Claire, WI/North) blasted his first and second collegiate career home runs on the day, as the Blugolds fell in both games, 5-3 and 6-1.
Game 1 Box Score (7 Innings) | Game 2 Box Score (7 Innings)
Game one saw a spark in the Blugold offense early after Ryan Venne hit his first collegiate homerun in the first inning and Diego Caicedo (Fr. – Pompano Beach, FL/Northeast) crossed home plate on a routine ground ball from Jacob Lacy (Sr. – Shawano, WI) for a 2-1 lead. Platteville answered right back in the third with a three-run inning for a 4-3 UWEC deficit. Charlie Griffin (Jr. – River Falls, WI) pitched four innings allowing only six hits, three runs, and collected three strikeouts in his fourth game of the season.
After two more Pioneer runs extended the lead in the sixth inning, Eau Claire looked to put together their second comeback win in less than a week. With runners on second and third, Venne gathered his second RBI of the day with a grounder to first base, allowing Drew Salyers (Fr. – Centennial, CO/Arapahoe) to score and cut the deficit to two. The magic would run out two batters later as a pop-up foul ball along the first base line would seal the 5-3 loss for Eau Claire.
The momentum angled away from UW-Eau Claire in game two as the Pioneers gained an early 2-0 lead after two innings. Ryan Venne continued his offensive day at the plate with the Blugold's lone run in the sixth after his second homerun of the day flew over right field for a 6-1 deficit. A scoreless seventh inning for both sides would lock in a 6-1 final, as UWEC fell in their second game of the day.
The Blugolds (7-15, WIAC 2-10) will have a quick turn around after the holiday weekend as they prepare to travel to UW-Oshkosh for a makeup doubleheader from March 27th. First pitch is scheduled for 1PM.
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