Pioneers sweep Stevens Point

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team (17-9, 3-3) earned its first conference sweep of the season with back-to-back wins over UW-Stevens Point (15-7, 1-3) Saturday at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex. The Pioneers emerged victorious in both halves of low-scoring affair, shutting out the Pointers 1-0 in game one and holding off a comeback attempt to win 3-2 in the nightcap.

The Pioneers struck quickly out of the gates in the first game where senior Amanda Stanczuk sent one up the middle and freshman Melissa Dietz hit a bomb double to right center to run in Stanczuk.

The solo run from the Pioneers' third at-bat of the day held all the way through for the 1-0 win.

Senior Claire Bakkestuen (7-4) led the Pioneers to the opening shutout striking out six, walking one and allowing five hits.

Ashley Zygowski (8-2) suffered the loss and pitched the first four for the Pointers, striking out four, walking two and surrendering three hits.

Runs were hard to come by in game two as well, but the Pioneers got on the board first again with a second inning homerun by starting pitcher Taylor Roughen to left center. Junior Payton Marvin's sacrifice fly doubled UW-Platteville's lead later in the inning.

The Pointers responded with a sac fly of their own in the third, but an error by the left fielder with two outs scored another for the Pioneers in the bottom of the third.

Trailing 3-1 at the top of the seventh, UW-Stevens Point's first batter started the comeback threat and tripled to centerfield. The Pointers' second run of the day then ran in with a sacrifice fly at the next at-bat. The Pioneers remained lazer focused and the second out flew out to left and Roughen struck out the final out to complete the conference sweep.

Dietz and sophomore Lauren Heuberger each went 2-for-3 in game two with each recording doubles in the nightcap.

Roughen (9-3) claimed the win and struck out four, walked one and gave up five hits along with one earned run in seven innings. Makenna Tkach (6-3) suffered the loss pitching the first two innings while striking out one, walking one and allowing four hits and two runs.

The Pioneers will return to action on Wednesday, April 19 when they travel to Augustana for a non-conference twinbill against the Vikings starting at 4 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.