2002 Pioneer Softball Review
Posted 5/7/02Skaden, Brown are all-WIAC
UW-Platteville's Michelle Skaden and Lisa Brown earned honorable mention all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball honors, the league office announced Tuesday.
Skaden (Jr., Lewiston, Minn./(Lewiston-Altura H.S.) earned her second straight all-conference accolade, while Brown (Sr., Milton) played for the first time after transferring from UW-La Crosse.
Skaden hit .296 during the conference season, playing catcher and designated hitter. For the season, she cracked doubles six home runs, including three in the WIAC tournament, with a team-high 20 RBIs. Her six home runs were the second-highest total in school history.
Brown, the starting centerfielder, hit .289 with a team-high 11 hits in the 11 league games. Overall, she belted eight doubles and four home runs. She tied for the UWP lead with 16 runs scored.
The Pioneers finished 18-20 overall and 2-9 in the WIAC. They advanced to fifth place in the league tournament, going 3-2 last weekend.
The complete team may be found at the WIAC site.
Posted 5/4/02
Pioneers go 3-2 conference tourney
By Paul EricksonUWP Sports Information Director
The UW-Platteville softball team came into the WIAC tournament determined to show they were not really the ninth-best team, as the seedings said.
The inspired Pioneers went out and became the talk of the tournament as they eliminated three higher ranked teams Friday and Saturday at the OmniCenter in Onalaska.
UWP beat #8 UW-River Falls 4-3 in the play-in game Friday to reach the double elimination field. After falling 7-2 to top-ranked UW-Eau Claire, the Pioneers sent UW-Oshkosh home with an 8-3 win Friday and beat #7 UW-Stout 1-0 Saturday before third-seeded UW-Whitewater ended the Pioneers' run, 4-2.
The Pioneers concluded their season with an 18-20 record following their 3-2 performance in the tournament.
UWP started hot in the play-in game, as Michelle Skaden smacked a home run in the first. Wendi Siedschlag added a solo home in the third and a two-out RBI double in the fifth to back the pitching of starter Steph Wood, who went into the sixth, and Tiff Flesch, who earned the save.
The Pioneers dropped into the consolation bracket after UW-Eau Claire scored four unearned runs in the fifth inning to break open a 2-1 contest. Mandy Henning had her second straight 3x3 hitting game at the plate to lead the Pioneers.
With their backs to the wall, the Pioneers knocked out fourth-seeded UW-Oshkosh 8-3. The Pioneers pounded out 10 hits in the game, and scored five times in the fourth for the win. Skaden and Siedschlag each had a pair of hits, and the Wood and Flesch pitching tandem earned the win and the right to play Saturday.
UWP may have turned in its best defensive outing of the year vs. UW-Stout. Jess Van Lannen limited UW-Stout to six hits and was helped by some slick fielding, including a double play. The game was scoreless until Siedschlag led off the sixth with a tremendous blast to left field. With Coach Janet James doing her best Carlton Fisk imitation to will the ball fair, the ball did indeed stay inside the left-field line pole, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 lead and touching off a celebration on the Pioneer bench. (Siedschlag is pictured left rounding the bases after her big hit.) Van Lannen finished off the Blue Devils in the seventh, making UWP just one of five schools left standing.
UW-Whitewater finally put a stop to the Pioneer run, as the Warhawks scored twice in the fifth inning to snap a 1-1 tie. Skaden homered twice for the Pioneers' only runs of the game. She and Laura Brown each had two hits in the contest.
River Falls BoxscoreEau Claire Boxscore
Oshkosh Boxscore
Stout Boxscore
Whitewater Boxscore
Posted 5/2/02
Pioneers enter conference tourney
The UW-Platteville softball team is competing in the WIAC championships at UW-La Crosse this weekend. Because the Sports Information Director will be at the tournament, this site will not be updated with Pioneer results and pictures until Monday. To find the scores and statistics before then, click on the link below.
UWP and UW-River Falls meet in the 9 a.m. play-in game to determine the eighth team in the double-elimination tournament.
WIAC championship pageposted 4/30/02
Pioneers drop 2 to Carroll
The UW-Platteville softball team concluded its home and regular season schedule with 6-0 and 5-2 losses to Carroll College Tuesday.
The Pioneers will take a 15-18 record into the WIAC tournament, which begins Friday in Onalaska.
The Pioneers scored their only runs Tuesday in the fourth inning of the second game. Mandy Henning doubled to right-center, scoring Michelle Skaden and Wendi Siedschlag. The big hit cut the lead to 3-2. Carroll, however, answered with a two-run home run by Jesse Wegge to restore the three-run cushion. In the opener, catcher Eva Klamann had a sixth-inning RBI double and a three-run home run in the seventh for Carroll. Skaden had two of the Pioneers' four hits in the opener.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/28/02
Cluster cancelled; Pioneers split at UW-River Falls
The entire WIAC softball cluster tournament was rained and then snowed out at UW-Stout this weekend.
The UW-Platteville team was scheduled to play five league games, but those will not be made up. Since they were already up north, they played two games at UW-River Falls Sunday.
The Pioneers split the doubleheader with UW-River Falls, losing 2-0 and winning 4-1.
The Pioneers (15-16 overall, 2-9 WIAC) close their home schedule Tuesday vs. Carroll College at 3 p.m. They open the WIAC tournament Friday at UW-La Crosse by playing UW-River Falls at 9 a.m.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/26/02
Cluster is Sunday-only
The WIAC cluster games will now just be a one-day affair because of poor weather conditions at UW-Stout.
The cluster will still follow the first-day schedule (see schedule).
posted 4/24/02
Pioneers beat DII Winona State
The UW-Platteville softball team knocked off NCAA II Winona State 5-3 in the second game of a home doubleheader Wednesday. The Warriors won the first game 2-1.
Michelle Skaden cracked a three-run home run in the fifth inning, giving the Pioneers a 5-1 lead. Skaden's third home run of the year scored Chrissy McCauley and Lisa Brown, who had singled.
The Pioneers took a 2-0 lead on two-out RBI singles by Laura Brown and Stacey Yager in the fourth.
Jess Van Lannen pitched a complete game, holding the powerful Warrior attack to six hits. She struck out three and only walked two.
Steph Wood also pitched a full seven innings in the opener, holding WSU to five hits and a pair of second-inning runs. Skaden doubled in the UWP sixth and eventually scored on Wendi Siedschlag's sacrifice fly.
The Pioneers are now 14-15 overall, while Winona State is 36-14-1. The Pioneers play five conference games Saturday and Sunday in the WIAC round-robin. The cluster tournament was moved to UW-Stout because of unplayable fields at UW-Superior.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/23/02
WIAC cluster games moved
The WIAC cluster games have been moved to UW-Stout because of poor field conditions at UW-Superior's facilities.
The weekend schedule of games (see schedule) remains the same. If inclement weather hits, a decision will be made by Friday noon if the games will be played.
posted 4/20/02
Pioneers fall twice
Visiting UW-Platteville lost 7-1 and 6-3 to UW-Stevens Point Saturday in WIAC softball action.
The Pioneers slipped to 13-14 overall and 2-8 in the WIAC, while the Pointers improved to 17-9, 7-4.
The Pioneers led 1-0 in the first inning of game one when Beth Shaw drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Pointers scored four in the bottom of the first after two were out. The Pioneers were limited to five hits in the opener, including two each by Lisa Brown and Andrea Krall.
Brown hit her third home run since Thursday to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the second game, but the Pointers answered with five in their half of the third. Amy Gill and Jen Killian each hit RBI singles in the UWP fourth, but the Pioneers could not overcome the lead. Brown's two hits paced the Pioneers' seven-hit attack.
The Pioneers play a non-conference home doubleheader Wednesday vs. Winona State at 3 p.m. The NCAA Division II Warriors are currently 31-12-1.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/18/02
Pioneers sweep Spartans
UW-Platteville's Lisa Brown hit lead-off home runs in each game, leading the Pioneers to 3-2 and 4-3 victories over visiting University of Dubuque Thursday.
The doubleheader was delayed 30 minutes due to the rain and hail storm that blew through the Tri-State area, but the field absorbed all of the moisture, and the sun even made frequent appearances.
Brown began the game one scoring with a home run to right center. Stacey Yager added an RBI double to score Michelle Skaden for a 2-0 first-inning lead. The Spartans tied the score against Steph Rick with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but Yager then crushed a ball over the left-center fence for a fifth-inning home run and a 3-2 lead. Rick retired six of the seven final Spartan batters for the win, her third of the year. Mandy Henning, Yager and Brown each had two hits for the Pioneers.
Brown started the second game with another home run to center and the quick 1-0 lead. Wendi Siedschlag added a two-run HR in the third for a 3-0 advantage. Dubuque pulled within 4-3 in the seventh inning, but pitcher Tiff Flesch retired Maria Spittlemeister on a ground ball to second baseman Jennifer Madden with the tying run on third to end the game. Flesch scattered eight hits and one walk to record her first complete game. Siedschlag and Erika Kiessling had two hits apiece for UWP.
The Pioneers improved to 13-12 overall, while UD fell to 3-21. The Pioneers return to action Saturday at noon vs. UW-Stevens Point in their third try to get that WIAC doubleheader played. The previous two attempts were spoiled by rain.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/16/02
Pioneers get odd split
UW-Platteville's Mandy Henning hit a grand slam to propel the Pioneers to a 6-0 victory over visiting UW-Whitewater and earn a rather odd split in the WIAC softball doubleheader.
UW-Whitewater scored all seven runs in the eighth inning to win the opener 7-0.
Henning's grand slam occurred in the second inning. Stacey Yager doubled and Wendi Siedschlag singled to open the inning. Laura Brown reached on a fielder's choice when the Warhawks opted to pick Yager off of third. With the bases full, Henning crushed a ball over the centerfield fence for the Pioneers' first runs of the day and a 4-0 lead.
Lisa Brown added insurance runs in the fourth with a two-run double to center. The 6-0 lead was more than enough for Jess Van Lannen, who held UWW to five singles and no walks with striking out two.
The opener featured a pitching dual between the Pioneers' Steph Wood and the Warhawks' Heather Wendt. The Pioneers, in fact, did not manage a hit off Wendt through the first seven innings. In the extra inning, the Warhawks had nine straight batters reach safely against Wood and reliever Steph Rick. The Pioneers finally got their first hit in the bottom of the eighth on Lisa Brown's leadoff double.
The Pioneers are now 11-12 overall and 2-7 in the WIAC, while the Warhawks are 16-8, 6-4. UWP is home against Thursday against the University of Dubuque at 3 p.m.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/14/02
Pioneers finish weekend with win
A weekend of frustrating close losses ended with an 8-2 triumph over UW-La Crosse for the UW-Platteville softball team Sunday in UW-Whitewater.
The Pioneers lost 5-4 to Superior, 5-2 to Eau Claire and 3-2 to River Falls Saturday, then fell 4-1 to UW-Stout Sunday morning.
The Pioneers reversed their skid with a dominating performance against the Eagles. Lisa Brown and Andrea Krall hit back-to-back doubles to open the game, and Michelle Skaden had an RBI single and Stacey Yager a sac fly to drive them in.
Yager added an RBI double in the Pioneers' six-run third inning. Jen Kilian hit a two-run double, while Krall, Laura Brown and Wendi Siedschlag added run-scoring singles in the big inning.
Steph Wood earned the victory on the mound, pitching a four-hitter. She retired the side in order in four of the seven innings.
The Pioneers (10-11 overall, 1-6 in the WIAC) play host to UW-Whitewater Tuesday and to the University of Dubuque Thursday. Both doubleheaders begin at 3 p.m.
La Crosse BoxscoreStout Boxscore
River Falls Boxscore
posted 4/13/02
Pioneers play in WIAC cluster tournament
The UW-Platteville softball team lost its first two games during the WIAC cluster tournament Saturday at UW-Whitewater.
The Pioneers lost 5-4 to UW-Superior and 5-2 to UW-Eau Claire, dropping them to 9-9 overall and 0-4 in the WIAC. The Pioneers will play three more games before the round-robin play ends Sunday.
In Saturday's first game, the Yellowjackets rallied from a 4-0 first-inning deficit to post the 5-4 victory. Michelle Skaden staked the Pioneers out to the big lead with a three-run double, but the 'Jackets chipped away at the lead until tying it in the fifth and going ahead in the sixth.
Lisa Brown got the Pioneers out to a first-inning lead against UW-Eau Claire when she led off with a home run. The Blugolds' Danyell Smith answered with a grand slam in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie. Skaden had three hits to pace the Pioneer offensive attack.
Superior BoxscoreEau Claire Boxscore
WIAC Cluster Tournament@UW-Whitewater
posted 4/10/02
Pioneers drop two heartbreakers
The UW-Platteville softball team suffered a pair of hard-luck losses Wednesday at UW-Oshkosh, losing 1-0 and then 10-9 in eight innings to open the WIAC season.
The Pioneers made errors on three consecutive plays in the first inning, as the Titans took a 1-0 lead. Pioneer pitcher Steph Wood did not allow a hit after the second inning, but the UWP batters could never push across a run. Wood suffered her first pitching loss of the year, falling to 6-1.
Hitting was no problem in the second game, as the teams combined for 19 runs and 28 hits. The Pioneers led 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Angie Long hit a three-run triple, then scored on Julie Barth's sacrifice fly. Beth Shaw singled in the eighth inning, and Heather Wotruba pinch-ran for her. Wendi Siedschlag singled to move Wotruba over, and she scored on a sacrifice fly by Laura Brown for a 9-8 lead in the eighth. Long, however, hit a two-run double in the bottom of inning for a 10-9 Titan victory.
Sieschlag led the Pioneer attack with three hits, while Andrea Krall, Stacey Yager and Shaw had two hits apiece. Jess Van Lannen threw the first four innings, while Tiff Flesch pitched the final 3.2 in her collegiate softball debut. The sophomore had been bothered by a leg injury this year.
The Pioneers, now 9-7 overall, will play five games Saturday and Sunday in the WIAC cluster tournament at UW-Whitewater. The Pioneers will face the five schools that formerly comprised the WIAC's East Division in single games. A similar cluster tournament will be held in April 27-28 at UW-Superior so every team will face the other twice this season. The next home game is Tuesday vs. UW-Whitewater at 3 p.m.
Game One BoxscoreGame Two Boxscore
posted 4/6/02
Pioneers place second
The UW-Platteville softball team took second place at its own Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament Friday and Saturday at the UWP Softball Complex.
The Pioneers defeated UW-Superior 8-4 and Mount Mercy 7-5 Saturday to finish with a 3-1 tournament mark. UW-La Crosse was the only school to win all four games and claimed the championship of the six-team tournament. Viterbo's Lisa Promersberger earned the J.W. Most Inspirational Player Award.
In Saturday's first game, Steph Rick allowed a leadoff home run to Superior's Melissa Nelmark, then gave up just one more hit until the seventh. The Pioneers banged out 13 hits, including two each by Lisa Brown, Andrea Krall, Stacey Yager, Michelle Skaden and Wendi Siedschlag. Both Skaden and Yager had a pair of RBIs.
In the final game, Mandy Henning's three-run home run broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning and propelled the Pioneers to the 7-5 win over Mount Mercy. Beth Shaw also hit one over the fence for a UWP home run. Steph Wood won her sixth straight decision, with Jess Van Lannen earning the save. Van Lannen came on in the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out the Mustang's Jess Mueller to end the threat.
The Pioneers raised their record to 9-5 and are scheduled to play at UW-Stevens Point in a WIAC doubleheader on Monday.
Complete tournament resultsUW-Superior
Mount Mercy Boxscore
posted 4/5/02
Pioneers 1-1 in first day of tournament
The UW-Platteville softball team went 1-1 during the opening day of the Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament Friday at the UWP Softball Complex.
The Pioneers beat Lakeland 2-0 and lost to Viterbo 6-3 in the six-team tournament. Only UW-La Crosse escaped the first day with a 2-0 record, while the Pioneers, UW-Superior, Viterbo and Lakeland finished 1-1, and Mount Mercy was 0-2.
The Pioneers conclude with games Saturday vs. UW-Superior (11:30 a.m.) and Mount Mercy (1 p.m.)
The tournament is named after the late Pioneer shortstop, who was killed by a drunk driver during her junior year (December, 1996). Her parents, Dennis and Arlene from Potosi, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday.
Pioneer pitcher Steph Wood then proceeded to pitch a gem against Lakeland. She tossed a three-hitter, improving her individual record to 5-0. Wood kept the ball low, forcing the Muskies to hit it into the ground. In a rare feat, none of the UWP outfielders made a putout, as the infielders were able to make all the plays. The biggest offensive play was turned in by designated hitter Wendi Siedschlag, who blasted a two-run home run over the right-center fence in the third inning. Siedschlag had two of the Pioneers' six hits.
A two-run Viterbo home run in the first put the Pioneers in an early hole in game two. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Lisa Brown and Andrea Krall tied the game in the third inning. Brown also had an RBI single in the fifth to tie the score again at 3-3. The V-Hawks, however, scored three times in the top of the seventh for the win. Rikki Bush hit a two-run, two-out triple, then scored on a wild pitch.
Complete tournament resultsLakeland Boxscore
Viterbo Boxscore
posted 4/1/02
Pioneers postponed at UWSP
Tuesday's scheduled WIAC softball doubleheader between UW-Platteville and UW-Stevens Point has been postponed until Monday, April 8 at 3 p.m. in Stevens Point.
posted 3/28/02
Pioneers finish trip 6-4
The UW-Platteville softball team won five of its last six games during the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla.
The Pioneers closed their trip with a split on Thursday, beating Buena Vista 3-2 in nine innings before falling to Otterbein 4-0.
Jen Kilian's RBI single scored Amy Gill from second base in the ninth inning for the game winner in the opener. In the nightcap, once-beaten Otterbein (7-1 overall) scored all of its runs in the third inning to snap the UWP five-game winning streak.
After starting their trip 1-3, the Pioneers rallied to win four straight earlier this week. On Monday, the Pioneers beat Manchester 4-0 and the University of Dubuque 10-4. Jess Van Lannen threw a complete-game shutout in the opener, backed by two hits apiece from Lisa Brown and Stacey Yager along with Mandy Henning's home run. Wendy Siedschlag homered in the second game, with Laura Brown collecting three hits.
The Pioneers continued their roll Tuesday, defeating Elmhurst 3-0 and St. Olaf 9-4. Steph Rick tossed a three-hitter against Elmhurst and was aided by Michelle Skaden's home run. Against St. Olaf, Steph Wood threw the first five innings for the win, and Stacey Yager and Beth Shaw each had three hits.
The Pioneers begin WIAC play Tuesday at UW-Stevens Point. They open their home schedule April 5-6 with the Jenny Walter Memorial Tournament. The Pioneers begin play Friday at 1 p.m. vs. Lakeland. The six-team tournament runs through Saturday afternoon, with each team playing four games.
Manchester BoxscoreDubuque Boxscore
Elmhurst Boxscore
St. Olaf Boxscore
Buena Vista Boxscore
Otterbein Boxscore
posted 3/26/02
Wood leads Pioneers to win in Florida
Steph Wood threw a shutout over seven innings, leading UW-Platteville to a 1-0 victory Saturday over the University of Chicago during the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla.
The Pioneers scored their lone run in the sixth inning, which was enough for Wood. She held the Maroons to five hits while striking out seven. In the second game Saturday, Western Connecticut State rallied for a 7-5 win. Stacey Yager hit a home run for the Pioneers.
UWP opened their trip with a pair of close losses, falling 4-3 to Allegheny and 6-2 to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Allegheny BoxscoreMLAC Boxscore
Chicago Boxscore
West. Conn. Boxscore
posted 3/1/02
2002 Season preview
The year 2001 featured good news/bad news for the UW-Platteville Pioneer softball team.
The Pioneers played well in winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East Division title with a 4-2 mark, but struggled outside the division and in the conference tournament. They finished 12-25 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC tournament.
"It was important (to win the division last year) and it made the players feel good because we accomplished something, but we didn't have a very good year," said fifth-year coach Janet James. "When you go 12-25 after ending up third in conference the year before that's a huge drop. It was important but they know they need to do a lot better to contend for the conference. I think a lot of them put a lot of value in winning the conference, like all the other teams in our conference. Winning the division was nice, but they knew they didn't have a very good season and that needs to change."
One of the biggest changes for 2002 is big for the entire WIAC. Instead of divisional play, each team will face the other eight schools twice. For southern schools (or the previously misnamed East Division), those meetings will still occur via scheduled doubleheaders. The entire league will get together twice during the regular season for the WIAC Cluster Tournaments, which pit the north (West Division) vs. the south in single, round-robin games. The inaugural round-robins are set for April 13-14 at UW-Whitewater and April 27-28 at UW-Superior.
"I voted in favor for it," James said. "I recruited accordingly and that's why we have four or five pitchers, and I hope that comes to our advantage to play those five games on the weekend. We are pretty deep with 25 on the roster, so we can have some options. Starting out, the young players will probably suffer a little bit because the intensity is so high. Hopefully our younger players develop and mature with the game quickly."
The Pioneers have a nice blend of returners and talented newcomers.
Returning position starters include all-conference catcher Michelle Skaden, who hit .412 a year ago with 4 HRs and 21 RBIs; first baseman Many Henning, .259; outfielder Jen Kilian, .250; third baseman Beth Shaw, .245 (with three home runs in one game vs. UW-Oshkosh) second baseman Andrea Krall, .232; and outfielder Angie Peterson, .229. Also returning are outfielder Amy Gill, .231; catcher Jenny Burke, .200; and outfielder Jen Dixon.
Senior Jess Van Lannen headlines the pitching crew, although she is battling preseason arm injuries. She was 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, Van Lannen won nine games and had a streak of 15 scoreless innings, second-longest in Pioneer history. Other hurlers with experience include Steph Wood, who was 2-5 last year; Steph Rick, who did not play last year but pitched in seven games in 2000; and Karen Schlimgen, 1-1 in 2001.
"We will do as well as our pitchers do," James said. "Defensively we will be strong, and we will hold our own hitting. It's going to be up to whether we can keep the other team down."
Tiff Flesch, a former all-state pitcher at Potosi High School who has played basketball and volleyball for the Pioneers, is out for the softball team for the first time and could provide immediate help. Freshman Stacey Yager was a two-time all-conference selection and pitched the first no-hitter in Lancaster H.S. history.
Two transfers are also expected to provide solid support in the field at multiple positions. Lisa Brown, who started 18 games for UW-La Crosse in 2000, and Jill Pigg, who played at Mount Senario, provide experience.
Freshmen expected to challenge for playing time include catcher Wendi Siedschlag, who hit .379 at Monroe and played in the state all-star game; Heather Watrum, who also earned an invitation to the state all-star game while at Denmark and dazzled in the outfield during fall practices; shortstops Erika Kiesling, from Belleville, and Chrissy McCauley, an all-area selection at Horace Mann H.S.; and Laura Brown, a two-time all-conference pick at Glenbard West who can play either infield corner position.
"The freshman are filling the voids pretty well," James said. "We are as deep and have as many numbers as we ever had which gives us the opportunity for more options. There are some freshman who can fill more than one void and play anywhere which will take some pressure off the starters and give them a break. We have two or three freshman who are going to hit the ball hard."
The Pioneers will look to mesh together quickly and get ready for the increased WIAC schedule.
"This conference is crazy," James said. "I anticipate that Eau Claire and La Crosse look like the teams to beat. Whitewater, Stevens Point and us will hopefully be battling for the top three. River Falls, Stout and Oshkosh have good groups returning. (West Champion) Superior turned some heads last year. I think it will be another battle again."