Pioneers sweep Duhawks in twinbill

DUBUQUE, Iowa. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team earned another doubleheader sweep this week, this time against Loras College on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers (13-5) took the opener 5-1 in eight innings and finished the sweep with a 7-3 victory over the Duhawks (10-7). 

Pitching started hot on both sides in game one with only three hits across both teams going into the fourth. Sophomores Taylor Roughen and Alexandria Davis teamed up with a pair of doubles to left field to put the first run of the game on the board. UW-Platteville held on to the 1-0 lead until the Duhawks' Morgan Machovec's single to shortstop scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. 

The Pioneers started off the eighth inning with senior Claire Bakkestuen and freshman Melissa Dietz up and on deck. Bakkestuen walked and Dietz homered to center field to race out to a 3-1 lead. Freshman Kate Davis hit a two RBI single through the left side to score two more runs before the third out. Roughen came in to close for Bakkestuen and gave up one hit before the Pioneers turned a double play for the first two outs and then finished off the win when Jadyn Anderson grounded out to shortstop. 

Bakkestuen (5-3) pitched the first seven innings, striking out three and walking two while allowing one run on six hits. Ashlyn Hemm (3-3) suffered the loss and tallied five strikeouts, four walks and surrendered all five runs on seven hits. 

In the nightcap, UW-Platteville raced out to a 7-0 lead after two innings. Dietz and senior Amanda Stanczuk each hit singles for an RBI in the first inning with two more runs scoring on errors. 

In the second inning, Dietz doubled with two outs already on the board and got into scoring position thanks to a singled up the middle by Jordan Johnson. Dietz made it home as Roughen got on base due to an error by the third baseman. Two more runs scored when Stanczuk hit a single. 

The Duhawks scored two runs in the fifth with a single down the left field line and added another in the bottom of the seventh, but the seven early runs held for the Pioneer win.  

Roughen (7-1) pitched all seven innings for the Pioneer's seventh win of the season. The sophomore struck out three, walked none, and allowed three runs on eight hits.  

The Pioneers tallied 10 hits in the second game with Johnson going 3-for-4 and Stanczuk going 2-for-3. 

UW-Platteville will return to action on Sunday, April 2 when the Pioneers head to Cornell College for one more doubleheader before conference play. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m. 

*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.