Pioneers Split Two More Games at Coe Tournament

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team split its two games for the second-straight day at the Coe Tournament on Sunday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Pioneers (7-5) started the day with an 8-2 come-from-behind win over Ripon and ended the day with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Coe.

The Pioneers overcame five errors defensively for the comeback win against Ripon. Kayla Gosdeck had three hits, Ellyn Goerdt, Colleen Lowe and Megan Pozezinski each added two in the win. Brittany Caley, who was making her first collegiate start, went the distance for her first win. In the circle, she scattered six hits, allowed two runs - one earned and struck out three for the win.

Ripon also struggled defensively, making four errors. The Red Hawks did all their damage in the second inning when they took advantage of two errors by the Pioneers for an early 2-0 lead.

The Pioneers got on the board in the fourth inning when Nathalie Schattner hit her third homerun of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1. Then, with two out, UW-Platteville took the lead in the fifth on a bases loaded, bases clearing two-RBI effort by Caley that scored Pozezinski and Gosdeck, who had singled to start the inning and Schattner, who had been walked intentionally. The Pioneers added their fourth run of the inning when Goerdt singled down the right-field line to score Caley that gave UW-Platteville a 5-2 advantage. In the sixth inning, UW-Platteville added three runs on two hits and two errors by Ripon.

In the second game of the day, the Pioneers looked to avenge Saturday's 1-0 loss to the nationally-ranked Kohawks. The Pioneers came up short in its upset bid, dropping a 3-0 decision to host Coe.

After being held without a hit on Saturday, the Pioneer offense was able to get two hits off Maddison Woodruff in the loss. Nathalie Schattner and Colleen Lowe each had a hit. UW-Platteville starting pitcher Melissa Anderson was strong in the circle, allowing just seven hits, striking out three and three runs - one earned in the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season.

Coe (18-2) scored two unearned runs in the third and added an insurance run in the fifth for the 3-0 win. The Pioneers mounted a threat in the fifth when they got two runners on base when Lowe and Ellyn Goerdt reached base with one out. However, the Kohawks ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard.

Next, the Pioneers will have a busy week when they travel to Loras on Wednesday, Mar. 28 for a twinbill at 3 p.m., followed by the home opener on Thursday, Mar. 29 against Dubuque for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Then, they open WIAC play on Saturday with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 31 against UW-Superior at noon and on Sunday, Apr. 1 against UW-Eau Claire at 1 p.m.