Softball on the wrong side of two one-run games

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The UW-Platteville softball team combined for 16 hits and limited a tough UW-Whitewater offense to five runs total in two games Tuesday night at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex, but the Pioneers couldn’t recover from two late inning surges by the Warhawks.

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Softball on the wrong side of two one-run games
April 17, 2018

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The UW-Platteville softball team combined for 16 hits and limited a tough UW-Whitewater offense to five runs total in two games Tuesday night at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex, but the Pioneers couldn't recover from two late inning surges by the Warhawks.

UW-Whitewater (16-8, 6-0) scored the only run of a 1-0 game one in the sixth, and UW-Platteville (13-11, 0-4) gave up three in the top of the seventh in their 4-3 game two loss.

The Pioneers worked just one 1-2-3 inning in the frontend of the doubleheader, but were able to keep the Warhawks off the board through five. The only run of the game came when Vera Pflugradt led off the top of the sixth with a single for UW-Whitewater, and after being advanced to third, scored on a passed ball.

UW-Platteville collected seven hits and put runners on base in every inning, but were only able to advance two into scoring position. Haili Cota and Alejandra Ochoa each had two hits for the Pioneers, and Ashton Hoeppner threw all seven inning, giving up just six hits.

In game two the Pioneers wasted little time getting on the board. Abby Jaques led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, stole second, and two batters later scored on a Jessy Tanel single.

Tanel came through again for UW-Platteville with a one-out double in the bottom of the third. Danielle Dieckhoff came on to run for Tanel and scored the Pioneers' second run of the game on a Rachel Martin two-out double.

The Warhawks put runners in scoring position in four of the first five innings, but Abby Burns was able to work out of trouble until a Pioneers' error gave UW-Whitewater their first run of the game in the fifth. UW-Platteville quickly got their run back when Burns helped her cause with a two-out RBI single that squeaked between the first baseman and the line.

Taking a 3-1 advantage heading into the top of the seventh, the Pioneers saw their lead disappear on back-to-back Warhawk doubles that tied the game. UW-Platteville was unable to get out of the inning, surrendering the winning run on a two-out throwing error that scored one. UW-Platteville went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to finish the game.

Jaques, Tanel, Martin, and Burns each picked up a pair of hits for UW-Platteville in the second game of the doubleheader.