KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Sam Schmeltzer got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning and limited Army to just one hit over 2.1 innings to record the save as Wisconsin-Green Bay held on for a 6-5 win as the Black Knights suffered their second straight one-run loss at the Rebel Spring Games Thursday.
Army, 6-6 overall and 3-3 in Florida, had raced out to an early lead with three unearned runs in the first inning. A throwing error producing the first, a balk the second with Alexis AuBuchon's two-out single delivering another in knocking out starter Tieraney Planasch.
Reliever Andi Pigeon, taking over the circle, picked up the win throwing four innings and yielding five hits and two runs before getting into a jam in the fifth inning. Pigeon was staked to a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second inning after the Phoenix scored four runs on three hits off starter Jessi Muckelroy (3-3).
Army tied the game 4-4 in the top of the third following back-to-back doubles by Rachael Duval and Erin McClain with one out. Pigeon nipped that rally when she stranded the go-ahead run (McClain) retiring the next two batters on an infield popup and flyout to left field.
With two outs in the bottom of that frame, Green Bay (9-3) snapped the tie with a pair of runs to go in front 6-4 along with knocking out Muckelroy. With a runner at third, relief pitcher Bonnie DeAntona, competing for the first time this year, nipped the rally with a strikeout.
The Black Knights threatened in the fifth inning to pull to within one run on Alex Reynold's two-out RBI single delivering Jeanne Tomlinson. After Pigeon walked the next batter to load the bases, Schmeltzer took over and ended Army's threat on a groundout to the shortstop. She did not allow Army into scoring position over the final two innings, retiring six of the seven batters she faced to record the save.
DeAnonta, throwing a three-hit shutout over 3.1 innings, kept Green Bay in check the rest of the way and only once allowed the Phoenix into scoring position before nixing that threat in the sixth. Leadoff batter Melanie Niederer beat out a bunt, then moved up two bases on Krissy Hanson's sacrifice bunt, but was stranded when DeAntona retired the side on back-to-back groundouts.
Army collected seven hits off three pitchers with senior captains Tomlinson and McClain each collecting a pair, while Green Bay recorded 10 hits.
The Black Knights close out their eight-game schedule at the Rebel Spring Games Saturday taking on Cornell at 11 a.m. followed by Fairleigh Dickinson at 1 p.m.
NOTES: Army is batting .282 overall and .267 at the Rebel Spring Games where it has outscored its opponents 26-23 ... Alexis AuBuchon (a sophomore) and Tiffany Held (a freshman) top the team in batting ... AuBuchon is hitting .407 and Held is .400 along with leading the team in RBI (11) ... Rachael Duval is batting .385 with a team-high 15 hits and 13 runs with Jennae Tomlinson (.368) and Erin McClain (.355) next ... Tomlinson ranks second in hits (14) and runs (9) ... Held is the leader in Florida with a .474 batting average driving in eight runs on nine hits ... McClain is next at .357 followed by Duval (.350) and Tomlinson (.333) ... in collecting her third double of the season agains Green Bay, McClain took over ninth place on Army's all-time list with 27 two-baggers and needs two to take over seventh place.
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