The University of
Wisconsin-Platteville softball team split its two games on Friday
at the WIAC Softball Tournament in its first tourney appearance in
2008.
The Pioneers lost an 8-0, five
inning decision to No. 2 seed and No. 22 UW-Whitewater to start the
day. Facing elimination, UW-Platteville was held to one hit –
but it was enough – in a 1-0 win over UW-Oshkosh.
With no score in the fourth inning,
UW-Platteville's Nathalie Schattner reached on an error to start
the inning. The Pioneers brought off the bench, Cassandra Bonin to
run for Schattner. A passed ball and sacrifice bunt by Colleen Lowe
moved Bonin to third.
Then, Pioneer catcher Molly Rice
singled to left field to score Bonin for the first hit of the day
for UW-Platteville for which proved to be the game-winning run.
UW-Platteville pitcher Jeni
Freiburger pitched the first shutout of her career, allowing just
three hits and striking out five.
For UW-Platteville, it is the first WIAC Tournament win since a
2008 elimination game against UW-La Crosse, 15-4 and the first WIAC
Tournament shutout win by the Pioneer since a 2003 shutout of
UW-Superior, 9-0 and the first WIAC Tournament win over the Titans
since 2002.
The Pioneers will not return to the
diamond to a 2 p.m. match up against the winner of UW-Stout and
host UW-Eau Claire, who will play one another at 10 a.m. on
Saturday.
