The UW-Platteville Pioneers’ softball team celebrated Senior Day between games against UW-Oshkosh. On the diamond, however, the Titans’ combination of a relentless offense and the top pitching staff in the WIAC resulted in two victories over the Pioneers on May 1.

The Pioneers faced great pitching in game one. The Pioneers were held to three hits and three walks across five shutout innings from the Titans’ Maddie Fink. Angela Laabs recorded the only extra-base hit for Platteville in game one, a double. Riley Kelsch and Claire Bakkestuen each had a single. 

Leading 1-0 after the first inning, UW-Oshkosh pulled away in the second. The Titans mounted an impressive offensive rally that featured five runs on seven hits, an error and two runners left on. The Titans would go on to score five more runs across the game’s final three innings, winning 11-0. UW-Oshkosh pounded out nineteen hits in the win. 

Fink (9-4) earned the win. McKenna Rommel (2-8) took the loss. 

Between games, UW-Platteville honored the program’s seniors: Angela Laabs (2B), Elisa Versetto (Utility), Haili Cota (OF), Rommel (P), Riley Kelsch (SS), Rachel Plautz (C), and Ali Schmidt (team manager). 

In game two, another strong pitching performance occurred. This one was turned in by Sydney Nemetz, and some late, explosive offense put the game out of reach. The Pioneers trailed 3-0 after one inning. Each team scored two runs in the third. Claire Bakkestuen drove in UW-Platteville’s runs with a 2-RBI double. The Pioneers were held to six hits: Two each by Rachel Plautz and Amanda Stanczuk and one by Sidney Tomczak. 

Between the fourth and sixth innings, UW-Oshkosh scored eight runs. They collected seventeen hits in game two, winning, 13-2, to complete the double-header. 

UW-Oshkosh’s Nemetz (11-0) took the win over Claire Bakkestuen (4-7).

The Pioneers are 12-18, 4-8 WIAC and UW-Oshkosh is 24-6, 10-2 WIAC.