UW-Platteville Falls Short in Upset Bid vs. No. 10 UW-Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team fell short in its bid to upset No. 10 UW-Whitewater, losing a doubleheader by scores of 4-3 and 9-1. The loss drops UW-Platteville to 12-18 overall and 2-5 in the WIAC; whereas UW-Whitewater improves to 24-6 overall and 9-3 in the WIAC.

Game 1
UW-Whitewater scored twice in the first and fourth innings for a 4-0 advantage before mounting a rally in the seventh inning. Brittany Caley and Jordan Johnson both reached on errors to start the inning.

Later, in the inning with one out, Colleen Lowe (pictured earlier this season) hit her second home run of the season to cut the deficit to one. The home run was the lone hit of the game for UW-Platteville, who was unable to get the tying run on base with back-to-back ground outs to end the game.

Five Warhawks combined for the six hits and starting pitcher Jessica Stang struck out 11 to raise her record to 18-2. UW-Platteville starter Melissa Anderson allowed six hits, four runs – three earned and struck out two to fall to 8-6.

Game 2
The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 advantage on a solo home run by Lowe in the second inning.

UW-Platteville looked to add to its lead in the third inning when they received three-straight one-out walks to load the bases. The Warhawks kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard with a strike out and a foul out to end the threat.

In their half of the inning, UW-Whitewater came back to score four – all unearned for a 4-1 lead. They added to their lead with three in the fourth and closed out the game with a two-run sixth inning for the run-rule victory.

Samantha Niemann and Cassandra Bonin joined Lowe with a hit in the loss for the Pioneers. Jeni Freiburger pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits, striking out three to fall to 4-9.

Nine-different Warhawks contributed a hit; plus Katie Boyle pitched all six innings, striking out four to raise her record to 4-3 for UW-Whitewater.

The Pioneers are back in action on Friday at noon as they UW-Stout in a doubleheader at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex.