Pioneers drop first two games of road trip

ANGOLA, Ind. - UW-Platteville started off their five day road trip Saturday with a pair of losses to Trine University, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's seventh ranked team in the country.

Video Live stats Live stats Box Score Box Score

Team Stats

Pioneers drop first two games of road trip
March 25, 2018

ANGOLA, Ind. - UW-Platteville started off their five day road trip Saturday with a pair of losses to Trine University, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's seventh ranked team in the country.

Ashton Hoeppner toed the rubber in game one of the doubleheader for her fifth start of the season. Hoeppner struck out four Thunder batters in the first two innings, but Trine took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Thunder loaded the bases with no outs on a walk and pair of bunt singles, and scored their two runs later in the inning on another infield single and a Hoeppner wild pitch.

Trine starting pitcher Kate Saupe held the Pioneers without a hit until the fifth inning, but UW-Platteville was able to even the score at 2-2 in the top of the sixth. Abby Jaques led off the inning with a double and scored in the next at-bat on a dropped fly ball. Two batters later Cayleen Ryan scored the tying run on a Jessy Tanel ground ball.

Hoeppner made quick work of the Thunder in the bottom of the sixth and retired the first two batters in the seventh, but a hit by pitch and Mercede Daugherty double gave Trine a 3-2 win and the Pioneers their third walk-off loss of the season. 

UW-Platteville's offense broke out for eight hits and seven runs in game two, but couldn't keep up with Trine who put up 15 runs on 17 hits. The Thunder took a 7-0 lead before the Pioneers plated two in the third on doubles by Jaques and Tanel, and a single by Rachel Martin.

Trailing 10-2 in the fifth, UW-Platteville batted through the lineup and scored five runs to pull within 10-7, but Trine responded with one in the bottom of the fifth and four more in the sixth ending the game an inning early at 15-7.

Ryan, Martin, Tanel, Abby Burns, and Rachel Burns all had RBI's for the Pioneers in the second game.

The Pioneers fall to 4-6 on the season while Trine improves to 17-3.

UW-Platteville travels to Defiance College for a game against the host and a neutral field matchup with Adrian on Monday. The Pioneers follow with trips to Anderson University on Tuesday and Franklin College on Wednesday, with a pair of games against each.