Pioneers take opener, but fall in finale against Wartburg

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team traveled to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa on Wednesday to take on the Knights in a doubleheader. The Pioneers claimed the first game 7-6, but fell 17-1 in the second game, taking their overall record to 2-12 on the season.

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Pioneers take opener, but fall in finale against Wartburg
April 6, 2016

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. —The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team traveled to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa on Wednesday to take on the Knights in a doubleheader. The Pioneers claimed the first game 7-6, but fell 17-1 in the second game, taking their overall record to 2-12 on the season.

Senior Carley Rote pushed the Pioneers to the early 1-0 lead on a leadoff homerun in the first game. The Knights responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.

The Pioneers added two more runs to their lead in the top of the third with a two-run homer by sophomore Brooke Posey to take the 3-1 lead.

After the Knights tied the game after the fourth inning, it was Rote again who started the fifth inning off with a bang, doubling down the left field line. Rote would eventually score off a junior Thianna Wegner single to put the Pioneers up 4-3. The Pioneers logged two more runs and five hits in the fifth, taking their lead to 6-3.

When Wartburg responded in the bottom of the fifth with a run, UW-Platteville came back in the sixth with one run off a Posey double to take the 7-4 lead. In a last chance effort, the Knights scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't enough and the Pioneers took the 7-6 win.

Junior pitcher Jess Butzen logged eight strikeouts in the first game, earning her the win.

After taking an 8-0 lead in their first at-bat of the second game, the Knights continued their run, the Pioneers scoring their lone run in the second off a senior Keeley Schultz RBI single. After Wartburg scored another eight runs the next at-bat, the Pioneers couldn't seem to hold on, and fell 17-1.

The Pioneers return to doubleheader action on Saturday, April 9 at UW-Stevens Point at 1 and 3 p.m.

Written by: Carly Willman, University Information and Communications, 608.342.1194, willmanc@uwplatt.edu