The Beloit College softball team opened the season Tuesday afternoon hosting UW-Platteville in a doubleheader at Sportscore Two in Loves Park, Illinois. The Buccaneers dropped the twinbill falling to the Pioneers 9-3 and 12-1 in six innings.
A big third inning for the Pioneers led to six runs and a 7-0 UWP lead. The Bucs battled with
Stephannie Lopez plating Beloit's first run of the season on a RBI double to left center in the bottom of the fourth.
Isabel Johnson followed suit with a double of her own to bring in Lopez for a second Bucs' run of the frame.
In the sixth, Lopez roped another double. Johnson brought her in once again for her second RBI of the game.
The Bucs posted eight hits in the first game led by two from Lopez, Johnson and
Kit Kronberger each. All three registered doubles in the game.
Maddy Pfortmiller suffered the loss on the mound with just two of seven runs showing in the earned category. The righty struck out two in 2.2 innings of work. Kronberger came in for relief scattering two hits over the final 4.1 innings.
Game two was a pitcher's duel and defensive battle through the first four frames. The Bucs kept a leadoff Pioneer double from scoring in the first inning but couldn't do it again in the top of the second. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runner to third and then a single up the middle in the next at bat brought in the first run of the game to make it 1-0 Platteville after 1.5 innings.
Beloit's offense got going the second time through the lineup.
Kaitlynn Taft dropped down a sneaky bunt to open the bottom of the fourth with an infield single. She advanced to second on a wild pitch. A groundout had Taft safely reaching third before Kronberger's single of the middle knotted the game at 1-1.
The Pioneers responded with back-to-back big innings to end the contest after six innings of play.
Taft led the Buc offense with a pair of hits in the game two. Kronberger, Johnson and
Amanda Langford also entered the hit column in the contest.
Cora Aubert took the loss on the mound allowing a single earned run in 4.2 innings while striking out a pair.
