The University of Wisconsin-Platteville softball team beat the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers twice in a double-header on Saturday, with a 12-2 win in game one and 5-4 win in game two at the UW-Platteville softball diamond. The Pioneers are now 11-13 and 2-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while the Pointers fell to 12-15-1 and 0-5-1 in the league.

In game one, the Pioneers overwhelmed the Pointers in the third inning with an eight-run streak, putting them into the lead. 

Riley Kelsch, Alejandra Ochoa, Shannon Gaul and Rachel Plautz all went two-for-three at the plate with Gaul racking up two doubles in game one. Ashton Hoeppner (W, 4-7) pitched four innings, striking out three and allowing two hits and a walk. UW-Stevens Point’s Haley Barnes (L, 5-4) allowed five hits, seven runs and walked five.

In game two, Shannon Gaul hit a walk off home run in the final inning, propelling the Pioneers to a 5-4 victory. 

The Pointers took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and improved to 4-0 in the third. In the fourth inning, the Pioneers began working away at the deficit with a double by Chaela West, narrowing the Pointers lead to 4-2. Another double by Plautz in the same inning tied the game 4-4 going into the final inning. After keeping the Pointers scoreless in the top of the fifth, Gaul hit a home run, sealing the win for the Pioneers.

In the second game, Gaul led the Pioneers’ hitting and went 2-for-2. Plautz, West and Dallas Cavegn combined for the Pioneers’ three doubles while Gaul hit the only home run of the day. Abby Burns (W, 4-4) took over on the pitcher’s mound for Andra O’Brien in the first inning and finished game two. Burns struck out one and allowed one run, with five hits and six walks. For Stevens Point, Haley Barnes (L, 5-5) suffered another loss after taking over for Ashley Cohen in the seventh.  Cohen struck out seven and yielded nine hits, four runs and walked four.

Overall, the Pioneers outscored the Pointers 19-10 in the double header. The Pioneers will play again on Monday, April 15 for a non-conference double header against Wisconsin Lutheran at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Platteville.