Blue Devil softball sweeps Pioneers in WIAC opener

UW-Stout 5, UW-Platteville 2 | UW-Stout 10, UW-Platteville 9

PLATTEVILLE (April 6, 2019) - Kyncaide Diedrich drove in six runs over two games and UW-Stout needed every one of the runs as the Blue Devils swept UW-Platteville, 5-2, 10-9, in the WIAC opener for both teams Saturday.

Diedrich drove in four runs in the second game of the day and Melea Bruns, who started the game and couldn't get an out while giving up four runs in the first inning, returned to the circle with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to force a groundout back to herself to earn her second save of the season. 

After a relatively calm opening game, the nightcap was dig-your-fingernails-into-the-bench exciting for both teams. The lead changed four times. Stout (11-8, 2-0 WIAC) opened the game with two runs in the first inning, only to see the Pioneers (9-11, 0-2 WIAC) grab the lead with a four-run bottom half of the inning. Stout took the lead back with three runs in the second, but Platteville scored twice in the third to take a 6-5 lead and stretched the lead to 8-5 with two runs in the fifth.

The Blue Devils exploded for five runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-8 lead. Diedrich drove in the first run in the sixth and Meghan Kelly and Jessica Daley each brought a pair of runs home. The Pioneers made it interesting when Riley Kelsch drove in a run and Platteville loaded the bases as Madee Kleinschmidt gave way to Bruns, who forced the final out, and give Kleinschmidt her first collegiate win. 

Diedrich hit her second triple of the day, driving in Stout's first run in the top of the first inning. Diedrich hit a two-run double in the second inning. 

Kleinschmidt worked 2.2 innings, entering the game in the fifth inning, allowing two hits and one earned run. Stout punched out 12 hits against three Platteville pitchers, while the Pioneers had 11 hits against four Stout pitchers. 

In game one, Diedrich highlighted a three-run fifth inning with a two-run triple to give Stout their first lead of the game, jumping ahead 3-2. Winning pitcher Sommer Kuntsman helped her own cause with an RBI single to right field in the sixth. 

Kunstman got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth when she forced a groundout to shortstop to end the inning. The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the seventh inning after Diedrich beat out an infield hit, stole second, then came home on Alicia Meyer's double to center field.

The Pioneers opened the scoring with a lone run in the second inning. Platteville took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Rachel Bonnell. 

Kunstman earned the win by allowing eight hits, striking out one and walking two. Ashton Hoeppner took the loss, allowing seven hits, while striking out seven, walking three with two earned runs.  Stout stranded seven runners, Platteville nine.

The Blue Devils are tentatively scheduled to host Bethany Lutheran College, Monday, April 8 at 3:30 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, April 7.