The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team dropped a
doubleheader to host Cornell College, 4-1 and 8-0 on Tuesday
afternoon. The Pioneers fall to 11-15 on the season and Cornell
improves to 17-5.
In game one, Cornell pitchers Jill Trzaska and Jackie Sernek
combined to hold UW-Platteville to just one hit each. The Rams
scored twice in the first inning and scored a run each in the third
and in the fifth en route to the win.
A RBI single by Goolsby and a sacrifice fly put the home team up
by a 2-0 margin in the first inning. The Pioneers got on the board
on a solo home run by sophomore Colleen Lowe
(pictured). Holding a 2-1 lead, the Rams added to their
lead in the third inning on a RBI single to stretch the lead to
3-1.
Despite a two-run lead, Cornell brought in a new pitcher –
Jackie Sernek - to start the fourth and junior Jordan
Johnson greeted her with a double to the gap in right
center. Next, freshman Ellyn Goerdt reached on an
error to put runners on the corners and none out.
Sernek got out of the jam with a strike out and a double play to
end the threat by the Pioneers. Sernek and the Rams got an
insurance run in the fifth to stretch the margin to 4-1.
For the Pioneers, sophomore Melissa Anderson
was the losing pitcher, scattering seven hits and allowing four
runs – three of which were earned to fall to 8-4 on the
season.
In game two, the Pioneers were held to two hits for the
second-straight game by Rams' pitchers Laura Iversen and
Amanda Engel.
The game was 1-0 after Cornell scored in the second inning and
remained close until the home team scored four in the fifth and
three in the sixth for the win.
Both of the Pioneer hits came off the bat of sophomore
Brittany Caley, who had a single in both the
second and fifth inning. Seven Rams contributed to an eight-hit
attack, including two hits from Laurel Wilhelm.
Pioneers' starter Amber Bishop pitched
the entire 5 1/3 innings, striking out one, allowing eight runs
– four earned in the loss to fall to 0-3. For the Rams,
Iversen surrendered the two singles to Caley and struck out five to
raise her record to 2-1.
Next, the Pioneers return to the rigors of WIAC play on Thursday
at 3 pm when they host UW-La Crosse in a doubleheader at the UWP
Softball Complex.
