Softball falls to 23rd-ranked UW-Eau Claire

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville fell to 23^rd-ranked UW-Eau Claire, 2-1 in nine innings and 12-1 in five innings, at Bollinger Fields on Sunday. 

GAME ONE: UW-Platteville 1, UW-Eau Claire 2, 9 innings 

Junior Becca Lowe started the game with a single and stole second to put herself in scoring position. Senior Ellyn Goerdt kept her hot bat and drove in Lowe on a double to left center taking a 1-0 lead. 

Two Pioneer errors allowed UWEC to tie the game up at 1-1 in the fifth innings. 

Junior Jeni Freiburger came in relief to start the sixth and didn't allow a runner to get to third until the ninth inning. The Blugolds led the inning off with a single and pushed a runner to third with the help of Pioneer throwing error. Two batters later, UWEC registered the walk-off single. 

Senior Melissa Anderson started for UW-Platteville and threw five solid innings. She only allowed three hits and one unearned run. 

The Pioneers had plenty of chances to earn the win as the left on 11 runners on base and out hit UWEC 10-7. Lowe, Goerdt and sophomore Lisa Karau each recorded two hits. 

GAME TWO: UW-Platteville 1, UW-Eau Claire 12, 5 innings 

The Pioneers seemed to be a bit deflated to start the nightcap and it showed as the Blugolds jumped out a 3-0 lead in the first. 

Things got even worse for the Pioneers in the bottom of the second innings, UWEC broke the game open with a six run inning, 9-0. The Blugolds totaled four of their 10 hits in the second and took advantage of three Pioneer miscues. 

The Pioneers finally got on the board in the top of the third. Goerdt drilled a one-out double down the left field line then scored a batter later on a RBI double from senior Ashlen Folkers. 

The Blugolds responded with three runs to make it a 12-1 game in the bottom of the third. 

Goerdt extend her hitting streak to five games and Lowe put her hitting streak to nine games. 

Anderson started the nightcap and suffered the loss. She gave up eight hits and nine runs (four earned) in two innings while Freiburger gave up three runs and two hits in two relief innings. 

The Pioneers will wrap up the 2013 campaign with a nonconference doubleheader at University of Dubuque on Monday. The twinbill is set to start at 3 p.m.