Pioneers sweep Spartans in home opener

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team tallied two victories against the University of Dubuque on Thursday night in the team's home opener at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex. The Pioneers swept the doubleheader with a 2-0 shutout in game one before winning the nightcap 10-3. 

The Pioneers improve to 11-5 overall while the Spartans fell to 6-12. UW-Platteville registered 20 hits in the doubleheader, including 15 in game two and committed zero errors. 

In game one, senior Claire Bakkestuen (4-3) sat down nine, walked none and allowed six hits across seven innings. 

UW-Platteville got on the board in the second inning when sophomore Taylor Roughen scored on a throwing error to first base. The Pioneers doubled their lead on another throwing error as the Spartans failed to get the final out of the fourth inning. The tying run fouled out to senior catcher Payton Marvin for the final out of the 2-0 victory. 

Roughen led the Pioneers at the plate in the opener and went 2-for-3. 

Ally Gullette (3-3) suffered the loss in game one, striking out four, walking none and surrendering two unearned runs on five hits. 

Bats came alive in game two as the Pioneers put up 15 hits. Bakkestuen hit a bomb to center field for the first home homerun of the year. Freshman Melissa Dietz led UW-Platteville going 3-for-4 while three Pioneers went 2-for-3 including Roughen, sophomore Alexandria Davis and freshman Kate Davis. 

Freshman Calli Storms doubled in the second to bring in two runs to get the scoring started. Two runs scored on an error in the third and K. Davis drove in the third run in the inning to give the Pioneers a 5-0 lead. 

Dubuque started work on a comeback with two runs scored in the fourth. K. Davis collected another RBI in the fifth when Roughen scored. The Spartans cut the lead by one with a double to center in the sixth, but Bakkestuen's two-run homerun and A. Davis' two-RBI single to centerfield in the bottom of the inning extended the Pioneers' lead to 10-3. 

Roughen (6-1) led off in the circle and tallied four strikeouts and zero walks while allowing three runs on seven hits across five and a third innings. Sophomore Jordan Johnson relieved Roughen and collected her first save of the year while striking out two and walking one. Paige Manning (3-4) suffered the loss and struck out one, walked one and allowed three earned runs on seven hits in three innings. 

UW-Platteville returns to action on Saturday, April 1 when the Pioneers travel across the river to Loras College for a doubleheader starting at noon. 

*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a $3 Pioneer burger the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering 10 tacos for $10 the day after each Pioneer win.