DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team split a doubleheader with the University of Dubuque on Tuesday afternoon, winning 11-8 in the first game before falling 5-3 in five innings after a comeback attempt was cut short due to lightning and light.

The Pioneers (5-2) came from behind twice in the first game victory and left the tying runs on base in the top of the fifth inning as the Spartans (6-4) held onto the win in the second game. Overall, UW-Platteville outhit Dubuque 26-11 across both games.

Game 1
The Pioneers struck first in the second inning using four hits to score two runs, but the Spartans answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take over the lead. 

A run in the third inning and two more in the fourth tied the game at 5-5, but Dubuque answered with a solo run in the bottom of the fourth to recapture the lead. 

The back-and-forth continued as senior Melissa Dietz doubled to right field with bases loaded in the top of the fifth to score three runs, but once again the Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 8-8.

It was Diez once again in the top of the seventh who tripled to right center to give the Pioneers the go-ahead run, plus one. Junior Mia Savage then followed up with a RBI-single to center field to make it 11-8 in favor of the Pioneers. 
 
Game 2
Dubuque got on the board first when it scored four runs in the first inning and the Pioneers answered with three runs in the top of the second inning behind a single, error and bunt. Dubuque added another run in the third inning, and it looked like UW-Platteville might tie the game in the fifth inning when runners were sitting on first and second base, but a fouled out and a pop up to short stop kept the home team's lead intact. 

Before the Pioneers could try again, the game was delayed due to lightning midway through the fifth inning and the game was never able to start back up due to no lights on the field. 

Freshman Payton Gile (1-1) captured the win in game one and loss in game two. She pitched the final three innings of game one where she struck out four, walked two, and allowed two hits and zero runs. 

Up Next
The Pioneers will return to action when they take on Triton College on Sunday, March 15 in Clermont, Florida on the first day of the team's spring break trip.