FULTON, MO. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team (1-1) split a pair of games on Thursday to kick off the 2026 campaign. The Pioneers opened with a 4-1 victory over host Westminster (0-1) and then fell 7-4 to William Woods University (1-5).
Bats were firing on all cylinders as UW-Platteville posted 21 hits across both games. Senior
Melissa Dietz picked up right where she left off last season, finishing the day 6-for-6 with two RBI and a double.
In the opener against Westminster, the Pioneers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first behind a sac fly by junior Bently Cutts. UW-Platteville doubled the lead in the fourth on another sac fly and then went ahead 3-0 in the top of the fifth. Westminster scored one run in the bottom of the fifth off a double down the left line, but a single by Dietz in the top of the seventh scored the final run of the game for the Pioneers season opening win.
Cutts (W, 1-0) started the day in the circle and captured the win, striking out six, walking one and allowing three hits in four innings pitched.
In the second game against NAIA William Woods, the Pioneers had to comeback after a slow start, including some early fielding errors. UW-Platteville fell behind in the first after two unearned runs scored. The Owls added another unearned in the second inning and went ahead 6-0 after four and a half innings.
Junior
Allison Peters' solo homer put the Pioneers on the board in the bottom of the fifth, but William Woods answered with another run in the sixth inning, off a home run of its own.
Trailing 7-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, senior Greta Volken lead off with a double to left field. Freshman pinch hitter,
Addison Conrad, followed with a double of her own, scoring Volken. Dietz singled up the middle to score Conrad and a double to left field by freshman
Tessa Britt scored a fourth run, loaded the bases, and brought the game-winning run to the plate, with two outs. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the hopes of the comeback fell short as a fly out to center field secured the Owls victory.
Senior
Carlie Jo Brownlee (L, 0-1) suffered the loss, striking out one and walking two while allowing two hits in one inning. A couple of freshman made their debut on Thursday in the circle, including
Payton Gile who struck out three, walked none and allowed four hits in three innings pitched and
Nora Buske who struck out two, walked one and allowed one hit in one inning.
The Pioneers will return to action on Friday for another match up against Westminster a 1 p.m.
*As with every UW-Platteville win this year, the Platteville A&W will be offering a free ice cream cone (with purchase) the day after the win and the Platteville Taco John's will be offering a free churro (with purchase) the day after each Pioneer win.
