Photo: Chico La Barbera
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team (23-11, 6-3) split Saturday's doubleheader at UW-Eau Claire (25-11, 5-5) by taking game one 5-2 before falling 7-6 in eight innings at Bollinger Field.
In the opener, the Pioneers scored all five runs in the third inning. The first three runs scored on errors by the Blugolds, with the fourth run scoring when senior Alex Davis singled to left center. Freshman Morgan Erickson followed Davis up with a single up the middle which scored the fifth run for a 5-0 lead. The Blugolds scored two in the sixth, but three up and three out in the seventh sealed the victory for UW-Platteville.
Erickson (9-2) captured the win in game one and tossed a complete game, striking out three and walking one while allowing five hits and two runs.
The second game of the day proved to be much more of a back-and-forth battle. Senior Taylor Roughen doubled through the left side to lead off the third inning and three batters later, sophomore Allison Peters singled up the middle for a 1-0 lead. UW-Eau Claire matched the Pioneers run in the bottom of the third and then scored another in the fourth to take a 2-1 edge.
Senior Jordan Johnson hit an 2RBI single in the top of the fifth to reclaim the lead, but UW-Eau Claire once again took the lead, scoring two of their own in the bottom of the fifth frame. Junior Felicia Teubert doubled to left center to bat in two runs in the sixth and Johnson followed Teubert up with an RBI single to right center. Leading 6-4 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Blugolds stayed alive by scoring two in the bottom of the inning and then completed the comeback an inning later with an RBI bunt.
Roughen started off the second game in the circle and pitched 3.1 innings, striking out one, walking none and allowing seven hits and two runs. Erickson (9-3) suffered the loss after pitching the final 3.1 innings and tallied three strikeouts, zero walks and surrendered five hits and four runs.
The Pioneers will return to action when they hit the road for UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday, April 30 at 2 and 4 p.m.
*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a $3 Pioneer burger the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering 10 tacos for $10 the day after each Pioneer win.
