Pioneers and Falcons Split
RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team added another Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference split to the 2021 season. After dropping game one 8-1, the Pioneers rallied and jumped to a six-run lead after two innings and won the second half of the doubleheader 7-3. After the doubleheader at Faye Perkins Field, UW-Platteville is now 8-8 overall and 3-3 in the WIAC while UW-River Falls is also 8-8 overall and 4-4 in the league.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wis.-Platteville
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
|
Wis.-River Falls
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | X | 8 | 11 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wis.-Platteville
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 2 |
|
Wis.-River Falls
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team added another Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference split to the 2021 season. After dropping game one 8-1, the Pioneers rallied and jumped to a six-run lead after two innings and won the second half of the doubleheader 7-3. After the doubleheader at Faye Perkins Field, UW-Platteville is 8-8 overall and 3-3 in the WIAC while UW-River Falls is also 8-8 overall and 4-4 in the league.
UW-Platteville was first to score Friday afternoon as senior Alejandra Ochoa singled for an RBI in the top of the 2nd inning. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, UW-River Falls evened the score in the bottom of the same inning with a sacrifice fly by Johanna Breyen, who went on to lead the Falcons going 3-for-3. The home team pulled away in the 3rd inning and never looked back adding three runs in the 4th and another three in the 6th.
Determined to shake-off game one, the Pioneers topped the Falcons' three runs in an inning with four in the first frame of game two. With one out and bases loaded, sophomore Amanda Stanczuk singled to center filed to run in Ochoa. Next up to the plate, sophomore Claire Bakkestuen singled to left center and ran in senior Shannon Gaul and junior Rachel Plautz. After a short pause for a pitching change, junior Angela Laabs' SAC bunt scored Stanczuk and the Pioneers led 4-0 after half an inning.
Playing off their momentum in the 1st, Ochoa singled the next inning and made it all the way to third base due to a throwing error while senior Haili Cota scored. Ochoa made it home the very next batter thanks to Plautz singling to center field and the Pioneers extended their lead to six going into the bottom of the 2nd inning.
UW-River Falls made an attempt at a comeback in the 3rd inning with three runs of their own, but the Pioneers added one more run in the top of the 4th and both teams went on to shutout each other for the remaining frames.
While the Falcons outhit the Pioneers 11-5 in game one, the roles were reversed in game two with UW-Platteville tallying 10 to UW-River Falls' five.
Senior Ashton Hoeppner (3-4) suffered the loss in game one and struck out two and walked one while allowing seven hits and four runs in 3.1 innings. Hoeppner then went on to add yet another save in game two after relieving senior Abby Burns (2-2). Hoeppner struck out six, and allowed just two hits in 4.1 innings. Burns struck out two and walked three while allowing three hits and runs.
The Pioneers and Falcons meet again on Sunday, April 18 for a non-conference pair of games at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.