Pioneers split with Titans in home opener
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team’s big 6th inning late in game two handed the Pioneers a split against UW-Oshkosh on Tuesday’s non-conference doubleheader. The home opener marked the first games held at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex in over 700 days. UW-Platteville fell 4-0 in game one and retaliated with a big 10-5 win in the second game.
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wis.-Oshkosh
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
|
Wis.-Platteville
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | X | 10 | 14 | 1 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wis.-Oshkosh
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
|
Wis.-Platteville
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team's big 6th inning late in game two handed the Pioneers a split against UW-Oshkosh on Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader. The home opener marked the first games held at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex in over 700 days. UW-Platteville fell 4-0 in game one and retaliated with a big 10-5 win in the second game.
Abby Burns paced the Pioneers (5-5) for the day going 5-for-8 with two RBIs while Rachel Plautz followed behind hitting 4-for-8 with an RBI against the Titans (8-4).
In game one, UW-Oshkosh got on the scoreboard early with a groundout that scored one run in the top of the 2nd inning. The Titans tacked on three more in the 5th frame to extend the advantage to 4-0 which would ultimately become the final.
Burns and Plautz each went 2-for-4 to lead the Pioneers in game one.
Ashton Hoeppner (3-2) suffered the loss and surrendered just one run and four hits while striking out four and walking one Titan in four innings. Claire Petrus (1-0) took the win in game one and gave up four hits and struck out one and walked one Pioneer.
In game two of the day, UW-Oshkosh jumped out to an early lead once again, scoring one in the 1st and another in the 2nd. The Pioneers battled back scoring one in the bottom of the 4th and another in the 5th frame, but the Titans still held a two-run advantage after 5.5 innings.
UW-Platteville's bats then came alive and tallied eight hits and scored eight runs while under pressure of two outs. Cassandra Laabs sparked the fire with an RBI single to left center to score Shannon Gaul. After a Titan pitching change, the two Pioneers on base advanced on a wild pitch scoring Angela Laabs to tie the game 4-4.
Riley Kelsch who was 2-for-3 in game two was next up and singled up the middle to advance the runner to third. Burns followed Kelsch with a single of her own to run in pinch runner Marley Rowe. Pinch hitter Peyton Curtis was next up to bat and drilled a 2RBI triple to left field and ran in Burns and Kelsch to extend the Pioneers' lead to 7-4.
Another single, wild pitch, and walk loaded the bases and forced yet another Titan pitching change just before Angela Laabs singled to right field for two RBIs. All after two outs, the Pioneers pulled away to a 10-4 lead before UW-Oshkosh wrapped up the 6th inning.
The Titans would score one more run in the 7th inning to give the final 10-5 and the non-conference split with the WIAC opponent.
Burns accounted for three of the 14 hits in game two and Plautz, Angela Laabs, and Kelsch each tallied two.
Claire Bakkestuen (1-2) took the win in the circle in game two and gave up five hits, two runs and struck out one. Sidney Budzinski (0-1) suffered the loss for the Titans and gave up four hits, four earned runs and walked one Pioneer.
The Pioneers will return to action on Thursday when they travel to UW-Oshkosh for another doubleheader against the Titans, but one which will count towards their conference record. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
