Spartans slide past Pioneers

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team let the University of Dubuque slip by, 2-1, in game-one, and then dropped the nightcap, 8-2, on Wednesday at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex. 

The Pioneers scored their only run of the game in the first. Senior Becca Lowe started the inning of with a single to left center, and scored three batters later on a two-out RBI single by freshman Chelsey Walker. 

After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning, freshman Jess Butzen only allowed one hit over the next four innings. 

The Spartans loaded the bases with no one out in the top of the seventh. Butzen managed to get two outs without anyone scoring, but the third try was the charm for the Spartans, as a single up the middle scored two, 2-1. 

The Pioneers had a chance to tie the game up in the bottom half of the seventh, but just could get a run across the dish, leaving two runners on base. 

Butzen struck out four and allowed seven hits in the complete-game setback. 

Senior Ellyn Goerdt and junior Haley Salazar both went 2-for-3 for the game. 

The Spartans took their momentum into the second game, scoring two runs in the opening inning, and then three more in the second frame, taking a 5-1 lead. 

UD scored another run in the sixth, and UW-Platteville's Goerdt answered with a solo homer in the bottom half of the inning, 6-2. 

The Spartans pushed to more across in the seventh, making it a 8-2 game. 

Sophomore Keri Treml only got through 1.1 innings and gave up four hits and five runs. Classmate Cassie Roach came in relief and only gave up three runs on 13 hits in 5.2 innings. 

Junior MJ Patten led the team with a 3-for-4 game, while Katie Huss tallied two hits of her own.

The Pioneers complete thier week of playing the Dubuque, Iowa schools on Thursday when they travel to Loras for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader.