Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, FL – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team (6-3) split its opening day of the Spring Games in Clermont, Florida. The Pioneers dropped the first game 9-6 in eight innings against Concordia Texas (14-3) before defeating Fredonia (0-4) 19-9 in the second game. 

Game One
The Tornados got on the board first with a solo run in the third inning, but four more runs scored in the top of the fourth off a pair of singles, giving Concordia a 5-0 lead. 

Senior Melissa Dietz shifted momentum in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer to centerfield. Dietz along with juniors Allison Peters and Mia Savage then teamed up in the bottom of the seventh to drive in three more runs off back-to-back-to-back RBI singles, which sent the game into extra innings. 

The Tornados answered with four runs in the eighth inning and the Pioneers could only bring in one more run before the final out. 

Dietz paced the Pioneers in game one, finishing 3-for-4 while recording three RBI. 

In the circle, freshman Payton Gile started and recorded five strikeouts while surrendering eight hits and five runs. Freshman Nora Buske suffered the loss and pitched four innings while striking out two, walking one and allowing four hits and three earned runs. 

Game Two
Both teams got on the board in the first inning of the second game as the Pioneers put up five runs on a single, passed ball and two walks while Fredonia answered with four runs. 

UW-Platteville extended its lead by one in the top of the second and added two more runs in the fourth off a sac fly. Trailing 8-4, Fredonia scored one run in the bottom of the fourth, but that would be the narrowest they could cut the deficit. The Pioneers finished the game strong, scoring five runs in the sixth and another seven runs in the seventh to bring the final score to 20-9. 

Junior Peyton Murphy finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI while freshman Kaia McVay finished 3-for-5 with three RBI. Buske, who pitched two and two thirds innings, captured the win in the second game and struck out five, walked two and allowed one hit and one earned run. 

The Pioneers will return to action on Monday for a pair of games against UMass Dartmouth and Cortland at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. CST.