Freshman Bria Lenten sent the Pioneer (11-25, 2-10) delivery over the fence in left, giving the Duhawks (18-18, 3-9) a one-run edge through two innings of play.

The Duhawks extended their lead in the third, capitalizing on back-to-back singles by freshman Regan Wolverton and junior Julie Kistner. A RBI-single by senior Katie Serpico and an error by the Pioneers pushed Wolverton and Kistner across the plate, moving Loras' lead to 3-0.

A two-run double by the Pioneers cut the Duhawks' lead to one, with Loras coming to the plate in the fourth.

Sparked by a leadoff single by freshman Savannah Fowler, the Duhawks loaded the bases for Lenten. Falling behind in the count early, Lenten battled back to a full count. After fouling off half a dozen pitches, Lenten earned a walk, driving in one. With the bases still loaded, junior Makaila Haase capped Loras' rally, blasting a pitch well over the fence in left center for a grand slam. 

With the Duhawks in front comfortably, 8-2, senior Holly Klein continued her dominance in the circle. Painting the corners of the zone, Klein kept the Pioneers' batters off-balanced, forcing ground outs while fanning six.

Loras plated three more runs in the fifth thanks to RBI-singles by Kistner and Serpico to take care of the Pioneers in five innings, 11-2.

Sophomore Danielle Stromert opened game two with a walk before coming around to score on a RBI-single by Kistner. Moving to second on the Pioneers' attempt to get Stromert at the plate, Kistner stood in scoring position for Serpico. Trading places with Kistner, Serpico smacked a double into right center to give the Duhawks an early 2-0 advantage.

The Pioneers wasted little time responding, using a leadoff home run and two-run single to hold a 3-2 lead through the opening frame before extending their lead in the second. Taking advantage of a few errors by the Duhawks, the a two-run second put the Pioneers in front, 5-2.

Freshman Miranda Chapman reached on an error and Zerante walked, returning momentum to the Duhawks in the fourth. With two on and one out, head coach Ashley Winter elected to pinch hit sophomore Katherine Angelini in place of Fowler at the nine slot. Taking full advantage of her opportunity, Angelini poked a shot into left center, driving in one. Loras added two more runs in the inning, scoring two on an error by the Pioneers.

After the Pioneers regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, the Duhawks answered with a thrilling display of hitting in the fifth.

Facing a new pitcher, a bunt single by Haase loaded the bases with nobody out. Back-to-back two-run singles by Chapman and Zerante highlighted a four-run fifth, giving Loras a 9-6 lead.

The Pioneers threatened in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with one out to end freshman Emma Corkill's outing. Coming in in relief, sophomore Erin Hosch toed the rubber with hopes of getting the Duhawks out of the inning unscathed. Hitting her spots, Hosch fanned back-to-back batters to end the inning and the Pioneers' threat.

Loras added two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh before Klein returned to the circle in the seventh to close out the sweep. Inheriting bases loaded, Klein induced a ground out and bested a pair of Pioneers to secure the sweep, 12-8.

Game Changer
The Duhawks held the lead from the get go in game one, carrying it to the end behind senior Holly Klein's strong performance … Regaining the lead in the sixth the Duhawks held off a late push by the Pioneers to take the sweep

Key Stat
Loras forced the Pioneers' defensive to make plays, striking out just four times over the two games while the Duhawks pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts

Notables
Senior Holly Klein tied a season-high with six strikeouts in game one
Senior Nora Zerante tallied three RBI, tying a career-high set earlier this season
Freshman Emma Corkill earned the win in game two, her first since 
Sophomore Erin Hosch pitched 1.2 scoreless innings
Loras has won four consecutive games against UW-Platteville, dating back to the 2013 season

Quotable
Ashley Winter, head coach

"Erin has done an awesome job pitching. She has been working on her rise and curve and her hard work is paying off. This week she has gotten us out of a lot of jams and has gives us the opportunity to win ball games."

"It's great to have Julie back in the lineup, her timely hitting and ability to move runners is a great spark to our overall offense."

Up Next
Loras closes out the regular season on Saturday when they host the Coe College Kohawks for senior day. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Faber-Clark Field.