Pioneer Softball extinguishes Prairie Fire, 18-2, and falls to Smith

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team routed Knox College, 18-2, in six innings, and then fell to Smith College, 8-0, in five innings on Thursday at the Lee County Park and Rec. Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Pioneers started the game off with three straight hits and with the help of two errors by Knox, UW-Platteville scored four runs in the first.

Sophomore Carley Rote and junior Haley Salazar each delivered RBI hits, giving the Pioneers a 6-0 lead through two innings.

Another Knox miscue kept the Pioneers alive in the third, and UW-Platteville took full advantage of the opportunity. Singles by senior Becca Lowe and junior MJ Patten load up the bases, and then a triple by junior Lisa Karau gave the Pioneers a 9-0 advantage.

Knox scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning before the Pioneers poured on nine runs in the top of the sixth, 18-2, putting the eight-run rule in affect.

Sophomore Keri Treml scattered nine hits in the six-inning victory.

Lowe, Patten, Karau, and Rote each tallied three hits and three runs.

Freshman Jess Butzen suffered her first loss of the season, in the Pioneers' 8-0 setback to Smith. She put Smith down in order in the first and then was able to get out of a jam in the second, keeping the game scoreless through two.

In the third inning, Smith took a commanding 4-0 lead and used four hits to do so.

Treml came in relief in the fourth but had no effect on Smith's hot hitting, as she allowed four runs on five hits, putting the eight-run rule in affect.

Rote, Patten and junior Katie Huss recorded the Pioneers' three hits.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back on Friday when they face off with UW-Superior for a non-conference contest then against Clarkson at 11 a.m.