Pioneers Add Two More Wins in Florida

CLERMONT, FLA. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team (11-3) picked up a pair of victories Thursday at the Spring Games. The Pioneers needed only five innings to shut out Union College (3-6) 12-0, but turned around and took 10 innings to decide an 8-7 win over Willamette (11-7).

In the first game, junior Carlie Jo Brownlee struck out the first three batters of the day, setting her teammates up to take an early 3-0 lead after one inning. Sophomore Alison Peters doubled to right field and then scored after junior Melissa Dietz singled to right. Dietz scored the next at bat when senior Jordan Johnson singled to center field. Johnson would score before the inning was over when senior Taylor Roughen hit another single to centerfield. 

Dietz hit an RBI triple to right field in the second, giving the Pioneers a 4-0 lead. UW-Platteville then added eight more runs in the bottom of the fourth, with the last five runs scored coming after two outs and off a pair of doubles of freshman Kaitlin Jesberger and junior Felicia Teubert. 

Brownlee (5-1) captured the win and surrendered just one hit across the five innings while striking out 10 and walking two.

In the second game against Willamette, the Pioneers took a 1-0 lead after three innings behind a double line drive by Dietz to center field. The Bearcats then scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a one-run lead. Junior Greta Volkening scored the tying run in the top of the seventh off a passed ball. 

In extra innings, both teams scored one run in the eighth and then Willamette was able to answer the Pioneers four runs in the ninth with four runs of their own. A sacrifice fly by senior Danielle Trumbo scored the go-ahead run in the 10^th and three straight outs by the Pioneers defense secured the 8-7 win in 10 innings. 

Brownlee (6-1) pitched the last two innings to pick up the win and struck out two, walked one and allowed one hit and two runs. Roughen pitched the first 6.1 innings and struck out four, walked three and allowed five hits and three runs. 

Dietz finished the day 6-for-6 on the day with four RBI.

The Pioneers will wrap up their spring break trip on Friday with games against Lawrence and Oberlin at 10 a.m. and 12:15 a.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.