2001 Pioneer Softball Review
posted 5/15/01Pennekamp earns academic honors
UW-Platteville's Amy Pennekamp earned Second Team Verizon Academic All-District V softball honors.
The team is chosen from of all non-Division I student-athletes from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Sports information directors from schools from those four states, vote on the team, which is picked by position and based on both academic and athletic achievements.
Pennekamp was the second-team catcher. She hit .280 this year for the Pioneers with three home runs. The senior from Lancaster was an all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorable mention selection. Academically, she carries a 3.7 grade-point average with majors in Communications Technology and Graphic Arts/Design. As a student-worker in the UWP Publications Office, she designed many of the brochures used on campus and also the official T-shirts of the Chicago Bears' Training Camp.
posted 5/8/01
Four players earn all-WIAC honors
Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball players earned all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors.
Michelle Skaden and Erin Esser earned first team honors, while Jess Van Lannen and Amy Pennekamp were honorable mention picks.
Skaden (So., Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura) led the Pioneers with a .412 batting average, 23 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs. She and Pennekamp shared catcher and designated hitter duties during the season.
Esser (Sr., Cobb, Wis./Iowa-Grant) hit .308 on the year with 33 hits on the year. After three successul years starting in the outfield, Esser was asked to move to shortstop to give the Pioneers experience there. She ended up with 89 fielding assists. Esser earned her eighth varsity letter, as she also played volleyball at UWP.
Van Lannen (Jr., Green Bay/East) was the number one pitcher who finished 3-0 with a 0.58 ERA in WIAC East Division games. She allowed just two runs in five games and 24 innings of conference pitching. Overall, she won nine games and had a streak of 15 scoreless innings, second-longest in Pioneer history.
Pennekamp (Lancaster) hit .280 on the year with three doubles, one triple and three home runs. A good contact hitter, Pennekamp had the lowest strikeout ratio on the team, just one every 14 at-bats. She was one of the co-captains (along with junior Beth Shaw) of the Pioneers.
UW-Platteville, with Esser and Pennekamp the lone seniors, was 12-25 overall, but won the East Division with a 4-2 mark.
posted 5/5/01
Pioneers ousted by Warhawks
UW-Whitewater knocked UW-Platteville out of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball tournament by winning a wild 10-8 game Saturday morning at Duluth's Wheeler Park.
The Warhawks overcame an early 5-0 Pioneer lead, then held on for the victory.
The Pioneers finished the season with an 11-25 record. They won the WIAC's West Division with a 4-2 mark, and went 1-2 in the tournament.
UWP made a strong bid to advance Saturday morning. Erin Esser led off the game with a home run, the first in her four-year career. Michelle Skaden added a two-run double in the fourth, and Amy Pennekamp followed with a two-run home run, giving the Pioneers a 5-0 advantage.
The Warhawks, however, answered with a six-run fourth and a four-run sixth, taking a 10-5 lead.
The Pioneers cut the deficit on Skaden's three-run HR in the seventh, but the Warhawks survived the rally.
posted 5/4/01
Pioneers come back to beat Stout
SUPERIOR -- UW-Platteville finally came up with the big hit, and it was enough to propel the Pioneers to the second day of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Friday at UW-Superior.
Michelle Skaden cracked a three-run double to highlight a five-run sixth inning as the Pioneers beat UW-Stout 5-2 in the second round of the double-elimination tournament. Earlier, the Pioneers fell to host UW-Superior 4-2. UWP loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh inning, but could not push across a run.
The Pioneers started the second game with the same senario, leaving the bases loaded in the first inning. In the sixth, however, they broke through. Beth Shaw doubled, and Mandy Henning hit an RBI single. After loading the bases, Jen Killian forced in a run when she was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Skaden hit a shot to the gap in left center for a three-run lead.
posted 5/2/01
Pioneers draw UW-Superior in opener
UW-Platteville is the fifth seed in the WIAC softball tournament and will play fourth-seeded and host UW-Superior Friday at 1 p.m.
The Pioneers are the East Division champions, while the Yellowjackets were one of the tri-champions of the West. UWP beat UW-Superior 7-0 during last weekend's UW-Whitewater tournament.
The tournament seeding is based on conference record, overall record and a coaches' vote. UW-La Crosse, who edged the Pioneers by one run twice Tuesday, drew the top seed and will play the winner of UW-Oshkosh vs. UW-Stout. The Pioneers-Yellowjackets' winner will face the UW-La Crosse game winner in the double elimination tournament. The other bracket features second-seeded UW-River Falls vs. seventh-seeded UW-Stevens Point and third-seeded UW-Whitewater vs. sixth-seeded UW-Eau Claire.
The tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
(Note: Because the SID will be in Superior, please use the link below to follow the scores and boxscores.)
WIAC Tournament Web Siteposted 5/1/01
Eagles edge Pioneers in two thrillers
If this was a preview of the unpredictable Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament, then softball fans at UW-Superior are in for quite a treat this weekend.
UW-La Crosse, one of the tri-champions of the West Division, edged UW-Platteville, the East Division champions, 4-3 and 6-5 in eight innings Tuesday at the UWP Softball Complex. The doubleheader was filled with clutch hits, diving catches and an exciting ending.
The Eagles (23-16) seemingly took a safe 6-3 lead in the top of the eight inning in game two on Andrea Tsilis's pinch-hit three-run home run. The Eagles then brought in their ace pitcher, Sally Wenzel, the game-one victor. The Pioneers, however, loaded the bases on singles by Erin Esser and Angie Peterson and a walk by Michelle Skaden. After a strikeout, Andrea Krall singled up the middle, off the Eagles' second baseman after she made a diving attempt. While the defense scrambled to get to the ball, Esser and Peterson scored, but Skaden was just thrown out at the plate with the potential tying run. Beth Shaw drove the centerfielder deep to the warning track, but the outfielder caught the ball for the final out.
The Eagles improved to 23-16 overall with the sweep, while the Pioneers fell to 11-23 overall. The seedings for the wide-open league tournament will be announced Wednesday by noon. The seedings are based 50 percent on the conference finish, 25 percent on the overall record and 25 percent on a coaches' vote. The Pioneers could find themselves ranked just about anywhere. Of course, every team can make that claim as the WIAC schools have beaten up each other all year long. For instance, last weekend in the UW-River Falls' tournament featuring several confernece teams, the championship game was decided by UW-Stevens Point defeating UW-Stout. Those two teams finished last in their respective divisions.
The Pioneers and Eagles displayed the league's parity Tuesday. The Eagles broke Jess Van Lannen's scoreless inning streak at 15 innings with a run to open the first game. The Pioneers took a 3-1 lead on Beth Shaw's RBI single and Skaden's two-run double. The Eagles however, tacked on three in the sixth inning for the 4-3 win. Esser, Skrall and Skaden each had two hits for the Pioneers.
In the nightcap, Steph Wood held the Eagles to two hits through the first five innings and had a 3-1 lead until Kay Kuepper's two-run HR tied the score in the sixth, and the game went into extra innings. Krall had a pair of hits in the nightcap, giving her a 4x6 day hitting.
Game Two Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 4/27/01
Softball splits again
For the second straight day, the UW-Platteville softball team won by a shutout and lost by a shutout at the UW-Whitewater Invitational.
The Pioneers beat Ripon 2-0 in the first game Saturday, then lost 10-0 to St. Norbert in the fifth-place game.
The Pioneers conclude their home season Tuesday vs. UW-La Crosse, then play in the WIAC Conference tournament Friday and Saturday at UW-Superior. The Pioneers will enter as the East Division champions.
posted 4/27/01
Pioneers win battle of champions
UW-Platteville beat UW-Superior 7-0 in a battle of WIAC softball divisional winners Friday.
The Pioneers also fell 8-0 to Augustana during the UW-Whitewater Invitational.
The Pioneers were champions of the WIAC's East Division with a 4-2 record, while surprising UW-Superior clinched the West Division Thursday.
Action at UW-Whitewater resumes Saturday, with the Pioneers facing Ripon at 10 a.m. and an opponent to be determined by the tournament standings.
posted 4/24/01
Shaw is player of the week
Beth Shaw earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors after a record-breaking performance.
Shaw, a junior third baseman from South Milwaukee, tied an NCAA III mark and broke UW-Platteville and WIAC records by hitting three home runs in the first game against UW-Oshkosh Thursday. Prior to this season, only 14 players in NCAA Division III history had hit three home runs in a game.
Shaw was three-for-three with six RBIs in the Pioneers' 11-1 five inning victory. She helped the Pioneers break a school record with five home runs in the game. For the week, she was 5-for-14 (.357), helping the Pioneers split with UW-Whitewater and sweep the Titans.
posted 4/19/01
Record-setting Pioneers sweep Titans
UW-Platteville hit a school-record five home runs, including three by Beth Shaw, to defeat UW-Oshkosh 11-1 in the first game of a home softball doubleheader Thursday. The Pioneers completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory in game two.
Shaw tied the NCAA Division III for home runs in a contest. Prior to this season, only 14 Division III players accomplished the feat. Shaw's three round-trippers broke the previous Pioneer record of two, held by Lynn Nagy (1993), Tina Davies (1996) and Chris Kamin (also in 1996). In fact, Shaw equalled the Pioneers' team record of three all by herself. Amy Pennekamp and Mandy Henning also homered in the first game to demolish the old record of three, set against Dubuque in 1992.
"I think I just saw the ball better," said Shaw, a junior third baseman from South Milwaukee. "It looked real big coming into the box. It just all came together."
Shaw had never had a multiple home-run game until Thursday.
"After the third one, it just seemed ridiculous," she said. "It was exciting, but it seems so funny. I didn't expect to hit one home run today, much less three."
Pennekamp started the homer parade in the first inning with a two-run shot. Shaw led off the second with a solo blast, and one batter later, Henning hit one out of the park. Shaw hit a two-run shot in the third and a three-run dinger in the fourth, giving her six RBIs for the game.
The large lead also allowed ace pitcher Jess Van Lannen to exit the game after three innings. Steph Wood came in and earned the win, allowing just two hits and one run in two innings of work.
Van Lannen came back to start the second game, and the Pioneers came back for the win.
UWO's Carrie Thorson homered to lead off the second inning, but Erin Esser gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead with a two-run double. After the Titans tied the game in the fourth, Michelle Skaden broke the tie with, naturally, a home run, a solo shot to left-center in the fifth. The Pioneers added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning.
UW-Platteville improved to 4-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while the Titans fell to 2-2.
Esser, Skaden and Jen Kilian each had two hits in the second game, while Andrea Krall had a pair of hits in the opener.
The Pioneers are off until Monday, when they play Carroll College Monday at 3 p.m. at the UWP Softball Complex.
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 4/18/01
Softball Reschedules Games
Thanks to Mother Nature, the UW-Platteville upcoming softball schedule bears little resemblance to the original slate.
The Pioneers will face UW-Oshkosh tomorrow (Thursday) at 3 p.m. in a doubleheader originally set for April 11.
The home doubleheader that was scheduled for Saturday against Carroll College has been moved to Monday at 3 p.m. at the UWP Softball Complex as Carroll needs Saturday's date to make up conference games. Likewise, the April 25 games against Clarke have been postponed to allow the Crusaders to get in their conference schedule. No immediate makeup date has been announced.
posted 4/17/01
Henning's HR lifts Pioneers to win
Mandy Henning's home run to lead off the sixth inning was the only run UW-Platteville needed, as pitcher Jess Van Lannen and the Pioneers shut out host UW-Whitewater 1-0 Tuesday.
The Warhawks came back to win a slugfest in game two, 10-8.
Henning's HR was only the Pioneers' second hit, but that was enough for Van Lannen. She held the powerful Warhawk lineup to five hits and received outstanding defensive support. The Pioneers made 18 assists, including a throw home by second baseman Andrea Krall to nail a Warhawk runner in the fourth inning, preserving the shutout.
The second contest featured 30 hits and 18 runs. UWW jumped out to an 8-1 lead, before the Pioneers scored five in the top of the fifth. The Warhawks countered with single runs in the fifth and sixth. Amy Pennekamp's two-run home run in the seventh sliced the lead back to 10-8, but the comeback efforts then stalled.
Pennekamp, Krall, Angie Peterson, Jenny Rubach and Jenny Burke all had two hits apiece to pace the offensive attack for the Pioneers (now 7-19 overall.)
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 4/11/01
Pioneers fall twice to Blugolds
UW-Eau Claire completed a successful southern Wisconsin trip by sweeping UW-Platteville 6-3 and 7-1 in softball action Friday afternoon.
The Blugolds, who beat UW-Whitewater 6-0 and 5-0 Thursday, improved to 16-8, while the Pioneers fell to 6-18.
The Pioneers held a 2-0 lead after two innings in the opener. Amy Pennekamp's single scored Erin Esser, who also singled, in the first. Esser's groundout in the second plated Andrea Krall, who reached on an error.
The Blugolds, however, came back to score six runs, although only two were earned. The UWP defense committed five errors in the game. Esser, Pennekamp and Michelle Skaden each had two hits to lead the Pioneer offense.
In the nightcap, Tracy Steffens hit a two-run double in the third and a two-run home run in the fifth for a 4-0 UWEC lead. She also had a run-scoring single in the seventh. Blugold pitcher Jessica Sharpe held the Pioneers at bay, retiring 13 straight batters between Pennekamp's second-inning single and Jen Kilian's sixth-inning hit. Kilian scored on Esser's RBI single, ruining Sharpe's bid for a third straight shutout.
The Pioneers play at UW-Whitewater Tuesday then face UW-Oshkosh at home Thursday at 3 p.m. The latter is a makeup from last Wednesday's games that were postponed.
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 4/11/01
Van Lannen earns WIAC honor
Jess Van Lannen earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for her pitching performances April 3-7.
Van Lannen, (Junior, Green Bay/East), pitched UW-Platteville to a 1-0 victory over UW-Stevens Point in the WIAC opener, April 3. She allowed just five hits over seven innings. She also earned a 6-5 win against Grinnell (Iowa) in the Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament with eight strikeouts. For the week, she was 2-1 on the mound.
posted 4/11/01
Softball games postponed
The UW-Platteville vs. UW-Oshkosh softball games originally scheduled for today (Wednesday) have been rescheduled for Thursday, April 19, at 3 p.m.
posted 4/10/01
Loras tips Pioneers
Loras College won a pair of softball pitching duels from UW-Platteville Monday, beating the Pioneers 2-0 and 5-1 in Dubuque.
The Pioneers could not get the big hit in either contest, stranding 11 runners during the doubleheader. The Duhawks broke up a 2-1 game in the nightcap with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and improved to 9-9-1 on the year.
UWP, now 6-16, was led by Beth Shaw in game one with two hits. Shaw also doubled in the second game, as did Amy Gill.
The Pioneers are scheduled to face UW-Oshkosh in a league doubleheader Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the UWP Softball Complex. The Pioneers are home again Friday to play UW-Eau Claire at noon.
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 4/7/01
Pioneers finish fourth
Luther College beat UW-Platteville 6-1 to take third place in the 12-team Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament Saturday at the UWP Softball Complex.
Clarke College won the tournament with a 12-3 win over UW-Oshkosh in the championship game. UW-Oshkosh beat the Pioneers 4-2 in Saturday's first semifinal.
Four errors hurt the Pioneers' chances in game one, as three of the four UW-Oshkosh runs were unearned against starting pitcher Jess Van Lannen. The Pioneers recorded eight hits, including three by catcher Amy Pennekamp--who had both Pioneer RBIs--and two by second baseman Andrea Krall. In the third-place game, Jenny Rubach's deep home run over the right-field fence provided the lone Pioneer highlight.
UW-Platteville, now 6-14 on the year, plays at Loras Monday at 3 p.m. then has a rematch with UW-Oshkosh Wednesday. The Pioneers and Titans meet in a conference doubleheader at the UWP Softball Complex, beginning at 3 p.m.
UW-Oshkosh Boxscore .Luther Boxscore .
Tournament Scores
posted 4/6/01
Pioneers win twice, advance to championship pool
UW-Platteville won twice in the third annual Jenny Walter Memorial Softball Tournament Friday and will play in the championship pool Saturday at the UWP Softball Complex.
The Pioneers pounded Marycrest International 11-0 in five innings, then rallied to beat Grinnell 6-5. The Pioneers will face UW-Oshkosh at 9 a.m. Luther and Clarke face off in the other semifinal. The third-place game is at 12:30 p.m., followed by the championship contest at 2:15 p.m.
The 12-team tournament is named after the late Pioneer shortstop, who was killed in a car accident during her sophomore year (December, 1996). Walter's parents, Dennis and Arlene, who hail from Potosi, threw out the first pitch prior to the opening contest.
The Pioneers exploded out of the blocks in the opener, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits in just four innings of at-bats. Michelle Skaden, Amy Pennekamp, Jenny Rubach, Beth Shaw, Mandy Henning and Angie Peterson each had two hits, with both of Rubach's going for doubles and one of Shaw's going over the fence for a home run. Steph Wood earned her first collegiate victory by allowing Marycrest International (2-13) just two hits.
UWP overcame a 4-1 deficit with a five-run sixth inning against Grinnell. The Pioneers used a lead-off double by Skaden, a Henning RBI single, three walks and a pair of Grinnell (1-9) errors during the big inning. Jess Van Lannen went the distance on the mound, scattering seven hits.
The Pioneers have now won four of their last five and are 6-12 on the year.
Marycrest Boxscore .Grinnell Boxscore .
Tournament Scores, Schedules
posted 4/3/01
UWP shuts out Point
Jess Van Lannen shut down powerful UW-Stevens Point, throwing a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 softball victory Tuesday in Platteville.
The Pointers came back to take game two 4-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
UWSP came into the doubleheader with a 10-1 record, but could not cross the plate against Van Lannen. Only twice did Pointer runners advance to third, but Van Lannen escaped the jams, including one in the top of the seventh. Third baseman Beth Shaw threw out the final Pointer batter with two runners on base.
The Pioneers' lone run came in the fourth, when Erin Esser broke up Karen Guckenberger's perfect game with a single. Andrea Krall hit an infield single, and Esser then took third when the throw escaped the Pointer first baseman. Michelle Skaden followed with a sacrifice fly to score Esser.
In the nightcap, the Pioneers outhit the Pointers 8-7 but left eight runners on base. Steph Wood held Point to the seven hits, but one was a two-run home run by Sarah Berg in the first inning. Jenny Rubach and Mandy Henning led the Pioneer attack with two hits apiece.
UWP is 4-12 following the contests, while UWSP is now 11-2. The Pioneers return to action Friday and Saturday in the third annual Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament. The tournament honors the memory of the late Pioneer shortstop who was killed by a drunken driver during her sophomore year in December, 1996. This year's field includes 12 teams, with games at the UWP Softball Complex as well as Legion Field. The Pioneers will play on their home field Friday, facing Marycrest International at noon and Grinnell at 3:30 p.m.
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 3/31/01
Pioneers walk to victory
UW-Platteville received 20 bases on balls in five innings from the Wisconsin Lutheran pitching staff and walked to a 13-5 victory Sunday in Dubuque.
The Pioneers dropped their first game Sunday to Clarke, 2-1 in 10 innings, in the Dubuque Classic.
UWP needed just four hits in the second game to score 13 runs, thanks to the 20 walks. Karen Schlimgen earned the victory on the mound, as she and Steph Wood combined on a five-hitter.
In the opening game, the Clarke and the Pioneers were locked in a scoreless pitching duel for seven innings. Both teams pushed across runs in the eighth, with Michelle Skaden's double knotting the score in the bottom of the eighth. The Crusaders scored in the 10th, then recorded the final two outs with two Pioneers on base in the bottom of the inning.
Jess Van Lannen was the hard-luck loser, giving up just six hits over the 10 innings. Erin Esser had three hits to lead the Pioneer attack, and Amy Pennekamp added a triple.
The Pioneers are scheduled to open Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Tuesday at 3 p.m. vs. UW-Stevens Point. Those games are scheduled for the UWP Softball Complex but may be moved to Chamberlain Field at Legion Park. Check the website Tuesday for the latest information.
Clarke Boxscore.Wis. Lutheran Boxscore
posted 3/30/01
Pioneers split with Saints
Mandy Henning smacked a long two-run double to break a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning, and UW-Platteville held on for a 5-4 softball victory over St. Scholastica in the first game of a doubleheader. The Saints rebounded to win the nightcap 10-5 in a quickly arranged matchup.
Both teams are set to play in the Dubuque tournament Saturday and Sunday. Because both schools have lost several games to the weather and bad fields already, St. Scholastica made the trip down from Duluth a half-day early, and the teams met up at the city's Chamberlain Field.
The Pioneers won the opener thanks in part to Henning's double, which scored Amy Pennekamp and Jenny Rubach. Jen Kilian preserved the lead with a sensational diving catch in left field with a runner on third to end the top of the fifth. Her catch grew in importance in the seventh, as the Saints cut a 5-1 lead to 5-4. Winning pitcher Jess Van Lannen (2-3) induced a ground-out to shortstop Erin Esser to end the game with two runners on.
In game two, the Saints overcame a 4-3 deficit with five runs in the fifth and went on to the 10-5 victory.
Michelle Skaden was the Pioneers' top hitter on the afternoon with a 4x7 performance that included a double, a pair of runs and two RBIs. Henning and Kilian added two hits apiece in the second game.
The Pioneers are now 2-10 on the year, and the Saints are 3-8.
Game One Boxscore .Game Two Boxscore
posted 3/22/01
Tournament games cancelled, home game added
The softball Pioneers' scheduled games in the Simpson College tournament were cancelled for this weekend because of poor field conditions in Indianola. The women are still scheduled to play at the University of Dubuque Monday at 3 p.m.
Because of the lost games this weekend, the softball Pioneers have added a home doubleheader against St. Scholastica Friday, March 30, at 3 p.m.
The Pioneers are 1-9 on the season.
posted 3/14/01
Pioneers earn first win
Jess Van Lannen shut out the Coast Guard Academy on four hits, leading UW-Platteville to its first softball win of its Florida trip, 1-0, Wednesday night.
Angie Peterson and Jen Kilian hit back-to-back doubles for the lone Pioneer run, which was all Van Lannen needed. The Pioneers are 1-7 on their trip.
Earlier Wednesday, the Pioneers' rally fell short against Carroll in a 9-7 defeat. Michelle Skaden hit her second home run against Carroll and added three hits versus the Coast Guard.
The Pioneers conclude their trip Thursday with games against Richard Stockton and Denison.
posted 3/14/01
Late runs cost Pioneers
Geneva (Pa.) College scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to steal a 6-5 softball game from UW-Platteville Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.
The Pioneers also lost to Muskingum (Ohio) 10-5 in Tuesday's opener.
The Pioneers took a 3-0 lead after two innings against Geneva, and after Geneva went ahead 4-3, re-claimed the lead 5-4 in the top of the fifth. But they could not hold on to the lead and dropped to 0-6 on their spring training trip. Erin Esser doubled and tripled to lead UWP's attack.
Muskingum tacked on five runs in the first inning in the opener. The Pioneers sliced the lead to 5-4 in the second, but could get no closer the rest of the way. Sophomore catcher Michelle Skaden's home run, the Pioneers' first blast of the spring, was the game's highlight.
UWP will search for its first win tonight against Carroll and the Coast Guard Academy.
posted 3/13/01
Pioneers drop a slugfest
UW-Platteville dropped an 8-4 softball slugfest to McKendree, Ill. Sunday and also lost 3-2 to Richard Stockton, N.J.
The Pioneers (0-4) and McKendree combined for 21 hits in the opener. Beth Shaw had three, and Angie Peterson two for UWP, while Jenny Rubach doubled. McKendree rallied for three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to take the victory.
The fifth inning also proved costly against Richard Stockton, as the New Jersey school scored all three of its runs in that frame. Michelle Skaden's two hits paced the Pioneers.
UW-Platteville plays two games Tuesday afternoon, against Muskingum (Ohio) and Geneva (Pa.).
posted 3/12/01
Pioneers lose 2 on opening day
UW-Platteville lost two softball games Saturday in the Pioneers' first action of the season.
Anderson (Ind.) beat UWP 3-1, despite a three-hitter by freshman pitcher Katie Fellin. Jenny Rubach tripled for the Pioneers, while Mandy Henning and Beth Shaw banged out doubles.
In the nightcap, William Paterson held the Pioneers to one hit and posted a 9-0 victory.
The games were the first of 10 for UW-Platteville in Orlando, Fla.