Softball beats UMass-Dartmouth and Brockport

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team earned a pair of wins on Tuesday, as the Pioneers defeated UMass-Dartmouth, 6-3, and Brockport, 4-3 at the Cape Coral, Fla. Sports Complex.

Sophomore Carley Rote doubled to the left field line, scoring senior Becca Lowe and junior Lisa Karau for the game's first runs in the top of the third. Dartmouth answered with a run of its own in bottom half of the frame.

The Pioneers tallied four of their nine hits in the top of the fourth inning and scored four runs. Sophomore Hannah Pease, Lowe and Karau each recorded RBI hits, and Karau scored the Pioneers' final run on a failed pick off.

Sophomore Keri Treml scattered eight hits and one gave up three runs, earning the complete-game victory.

Karau and freshman Chelsey Walker led the team with two hits each.

In the Pioneers' second game of the day against Brockport, freshman Jess Butzen kept the Eagles off balance early, as she only allowed one hit in the first three innings.

UW-Platteville managed to get on the board in the first and second inning with the help of a couple of Brockport errors.

Butzen gave up her first run in the fourth inning as the Eagles took advantage of Pioneer miscue, tying up the game at two.

The Pioneers responded in the bottom half of frame with some smart base running. Junior Katie Huss stole home when the Brockport catcher attempted to pick her off and Lowe scored the Pioneers' final run of the game on a wild pitch.

The Eagles made it a one run game in the fifth, 4-3, but Butzen was lights out in the final two innings, earning her second career complete game win.

The Neenah, Wis. native only recorded one earned run on five hits and struck out three.

Lowe and junior Haley Salazar led the hitters with two hits apiece.

The Pioneers return to the diamond on Wednesday and square off with Rutgers-Newark at 9 a.m. and then with Nichols at 1 p.m.