First pair of losses went to the big batted Titans of UW-Oshkosh, 4-1 and 14-7, defense is main issue

Even with the snow melted, the green grass and the warm temperatures, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team was unable to come away with a win in a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex on April 9.

A lack of excitement and defensive fundamentals were the key factors to the Pioneers’ 4-1 and 14-7 losses.

The first game started out slow for both the Pioneers and Titans, as neither were able to produce a single hit until the top of the fourth inning, when Titans’ catcher Katie Koepsel sent a long ball over the fence on a solo home run for the first hit and score of the game.

It did not take long for the Pioneers to answer, when junior first baseman Haley Salazar took it upon herself to keep the game tied with a solo home run to center field in the fifth inning.

The home run was Salazar’s only hit out of two appearances at the plate for the game.

After a three-run sixth inning by the Titans, the Pioneers were unable to connect with any of Titans’ pitcher Jill Vondrak’s throws, except one single by junior Lisa Karau, which eventually left her stranded after a pop out fly by junior Carley Rote.

The game ended quickly with a 4-1 loss to the Titans.

Rote expressed her frustration at the end of the game.

“The first game we thought we were going to come back and win, but obviously that did not happen,” Rote said.

The second game consisted of even more offense play and, for the Pioneers, a lack of defensive play.

After a three-run first inning and a five-run second inning, the Pioneers found themselves in an eight-run hole under the Titans, which they were unable to chip away at until the third when junior Huss reached first on a single.

After a double from Karau, which advanced Huss to third, Salazar was able to produce the first RBI of the game on a shot to third, bringing in Huss for the run.

Salazar went 4-6 at the plate with two runs to go along with two runs batted in.

The fourth inning brought the Titans two more runs, making it 10-1 until the Pioneers saw their best inning of offensive play all year.
Frehsman Chelsey Walker started out the inning with a solo home run shot center field for her only run and RBI on the day, bringing the Pioneers within eight.

Sophomore catcher Hannah Pease reached first on a single, then junior Mary Joan Patten sent a double up the left field line, which brought Pease to third until a fielding error by the Titans brought Pease home for the second score, leaving Patten at third.

Karau singled to center, bringing in Patten and keeping the game within reach at 10-4.

Salazar then connected for her third hit on the day, sending Karau to third.

Rote brought the spark that the Pioneers needed in order to remain in contention with the unstoppable Titans.

Rote also sent a highflying ball over the fence for a three-run homer, bringing the score within three.

“I knew I needed to get a hit because I had been struggling all day. I had to come in clutch and it kind of got the energy flowing, but it didn’t turn out as the result we wanted,” Rote said.

Rote finished 1-7 on the day with her three RBI’s all occurring on her three-run homer.

Before the end of the game, the Titans’ Katie Koepsel hit her third home run of the contest as the Titans tacked on another four runs, leaving the Pioneers with a 14-7 loss.

“Our defense did not play well today. On the one hand, we are always happy with seven runs, but this time, it just wasn’t enough,” head coach Lee Negrelli said. “The main thing is that we have to stay excited. We understand that we have the ability to come back from large deficits, but we have to stay excited on the field and make the routine plays so we don’t allow them extra runs when they didn’t earn them.”

Freshman Jess Butzen was credited with the first loss, while sophomore Cassie Roach was credited for the second.

Butzen gave up eight hits and six runs on the day and Roach gave up six hits and six runs, while sophomore Keri Treml allowed 10 hits to go with six runs, coming in for Roach in the second game.

“They [Oshkosh] got their hands to the ball really well. They definitely had fundamentals and cranked them,” Pease said, who caught for all three pitchers. “Our pitchers always come in working hard and try to work their spots. [For] the next couple days, we will really build that mental barrier back up.”

Same story different opponent for Pioneers 11-5 and 13-4 losses to Warhawks, hopes remain high

A few days of sunshine and practicing on the field again was not enough to overcome the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks, as they prevailed over the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s softball team.

The Pioneers suffered the 11-5 and 13-4 losses at the UW-Platteville softball complex on April 12.

The Warhawks began game one with a pair of doubles, giving them a 1-0 lead until the fourth innings when, after another score was added by the opponent, the Pioneers were able to retaliate with two runs of their own.

After a single by junior Lisa Karau, junior Carley Rote sent her team leading the eighth homerun of the year over the fence in order to tie the game up at two apiece.

The fifth inning was huge for the Pioneers, as Karau brought in two more scores with a single up the left field line.

The inning ended with a pop-out by freshman Chelsey Walker, but not before junior Mary Joan Patten was brought home by a sac fly to center from Ellyn Goerdt, leaving the Pioneers up 5-3.

The Pioneers then held the lead through the sixth inning until the Warhawks rallied in the top of final inning for nine runs with the Pioneers unable to answer in the bottom.

“We’ve got to find ways to stay excited and stay tough through seven innings,” head coach Lee Negrelli said. “Playing six good innings of ball isn’t going to cut it in this conference.”

After a short break from play, the Warhawks picked up where they left off, scoring one run in both the first and second innings and four in the third, leaving the Pioneers in a 6-1 hole.

It was Goerdt with another sac fly to bring in sophomore Rachael Strong for the first score of the game and Goerdt’s second RBI on the day.

After the Warhawks tacked on another score in the fifth, the Pioneers rallied for three of their own.

With Karau and Strong both on base with unearned hits, junior Haley Salazar smacked a three-run homer to left center, keeping the game within reach at 7-4.

“I thought I popped it out, so I was a little upset at first, but the wind picked up just in time,” Salazar said.

Salazar finished the day 4-7 with three RBI’s and one run; all four of her hits occurred in the second game.

The Warhawks had another strong seventh inning, putting six more scores on the board, leaving the Pioneers in an unattainable hole at 13-4 and handing them their fourth consecutive loss in four days.

The Pioneers had 17 hits on the day and garnered nine runs with two big home runs occurring in clutch situations.

“We had some good at bats and put some runs on the board. We just have to find ways to stop them from scoring so much,” Negrelli said. “We make a couple more plays and it’s a different ball game.”

New to the program this year is Mary Joan (MJ) Patten, who is second on the team in batting average at .429, second in runs at 26 and second for on-base percentage at .478.

“I love my teammates, this is the best team that I have ever been on,” Patten said. “We all get along so well and that is hard to find sometimes on other teams.”

Finishing games with enthusiasm and excitement seems to be the main issue, as the Pioneers are now seventh in the WIAC with eight games remaining in the season.

“It’s frustrating; we lost energy. If we had the energy, we would have performed better,” Patten said. “We were hitting the ball and doing the right things. It’s just that we’ve been dead.”

The Pioneers begin their eight-game road trip at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a doubleheader against the Pointers on April 22.