The University of
Wisconsin-Platteville softball team split its two games for the
second-straight day at the Coe Tournament on Sunday in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. The Pioneers (7-5) started the day with an 8-2
come-from-behind win over Ripon and ended the day with a 3-0 loss
to No. 2 Coe.
The Pioneers overcame five errors
defensively for the comeback win against Ripon. Kayla Gosdeck had
three hits, Ellyn Goerdt, Colleen Lowe and Megan Pozezinski each
added two in the win. Brittany Caley, who was making her first
collegiate start, went the distance for her first win. In the
circle, she scattered six hits, allowed two runs - one earned and
struck out three for the win.
Ripon also struggled defensively,
making four errors. The Red Hawks did all their damage in the
second inning when they took advantage of two errors by the
Pioneers for an early 2-0 lead.
The Pioneers got on the board in
the fourth inning when Nathalie Schattner hit her third homerun of
the season to cut the deficit to 2-1. Then, with two out,
UW-Platteville took the lead in the fifth on a bases loaded, bases
clearing two-RBI effort by Caley that scored Pozezinski and
Gosdeck, who had singled to start the inning and Schattner, who had
been walked intentionally. The Pioneers added their fourth run of
the inning when Goerdt singled down the right-field line to score
Caley that gave UW-Platteville a 5-2 advantage. In the sixth
inning, UW-Platteville added three runs on two hits and two errors
by Ripon.
In the second game of the day, the
Pioneers looked to avenge Saturday's 1-0 loss to the
nationally-ranked Kohawks. The Pioneers came up short in its upset
bid, dropping a 3-0 decision to host Coe.
After being held without a hit on
Saturday, the Pioneer offense was able to get two hits off Maddison
Woodruff in the loss. Nathalie Schattner and Colleen Lowe each had
a hit. UW-Platteville starting pitcher Melissa Anderson was strong
in the circle, allowing just seven hits, striking out three and
three runs - one earned in the loss to fall to 4-2 on the
season.
Coe (18-2) scored two unearned runs
in the third and added an insurance run in the fifth for the 3-0
win. The Pioneers mounted a threat in the fifth when they got two
runners on base when Lowe and Ellyn Goerdt reached base with one
out. However, the Kohawks ended the threat with back-to-back
strikeouts to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard.
Next, the Pioneers will have a busy
week when they travel to Loras on Wednesday, Mar. 28 for a twinbill
at 3 p.m., followed by the home opener on Thursday, Mar. 29 against
Dubuque for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Then, they open WIAC play on
Saturday with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 31 against
UW-Superior at noon and on Sunday, Apr. 1 against UW-Eau Claire at
1 p.m.