UW-Platteville Drops 4-3 Decision to UW-River Falls in elimination game at WIAC Softball Tournament to End Season

Despite a 3 hour and five minute rain delay, a valiant comeback effort by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team came up short in a 4-3 loss to UW-River Falls in the WIAC Softball Tournament on Saturday in Eau Claire to end the season for the Pioneers.

UW-Platteville finishes the season with a 20-19 overall mark. Despite the loss, UW-Platteville seniors Jordan Johnson and Chantal McReynolds each had two hits in their final games in the blue and orange. The Pioneers finish the season with 20 wins, which are the most since the 24-21 mark in 2003 by Janet James.

A two-run home run in the fifth inning by Abbie Morris of UW-River Falls proved to be the difference in the contest. The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a RBI groundout by Friday's hero Molly Rice.

Then, the Falcons went ahead 2-1 in the third after back to back RBI hits by Hayley Buchanan and Ashley Goettl. However, UW-Platteville rallied to tie it in the fourth at 2 until the Falcons went ahead in the fifth on the two-run home run.

After the Pioneers were kept off the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, mother nature interrupted the contest for a 3 hour and five minute rain delay.

When action resumed, the Pioneers retired the Falcons in order in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half of the sixth, freshman Taylor Ruchti of Barneveld hit the first home run of her career to cut the deficit to one. Then, with two out, Chantal McReynolds took advantage of a UW-River Falls error and advanced all the way to second. Next, the Falcons retired Ashlen Folkers on a hard-hit line drive ball to shortstop Lily Buckley, who made a sensational play to end the threat for the Pioneers.