The University of Dubuque used the long ball to its advantage on Tuesday afternoon, blasting six total en route to 10-3 and 10-7 victories over the Buena Vista softball team to begin Iowa Conference play.

In game one, the Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first by scoring a run on a fielding error by the Beavers.  The lead grew to 4-0 in the second when they got an RBI single followed by a two-run single.

An RBI single in the fourth made it 5-0 before the Beavers tried to fight their way back.  In the bottom half of the frame, BVU scored a pair of runs, getting an RBI single from Britney Kubik and a wild pitch from the Spartans to score Jessica Stocker.

Two more RBI singles in the fifth gave Dubuque those two runs back before Pilcher added BVU's final run in the bottom half to make it a 7-3 contest.

The Spartans, who finished with 16 base hits in the game, hit a pair of home runs in the sixth for a 10-3 lead.

Pilcher finished with two of BVU's five hits.  On the mound, Jenna Falline went the distance and suffered the loss, allowing nine eanred runs, to go along with one strikeout and one walk.

Game two was back-and-forth from the first inning, as the Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the top half thanks to a two-run home run before BVU came back in the bottom half with four of their own, including a three-run home run from Sam Engleman.

Another Spartan long ball in the second made it a 4-3 contest before Pilcher got that run right back for the Beavers with an RBI double.

Dubuque then took a 6-5 lead in the third, getting a run on a throwing error before adding two more on a single.

The Beavers later regained the lead at 7-6 in the fourth with RBI from Lesa Turnquist and Lacey Vokt only to see the Spartans scored the final four runs of the game, including two more home runs.

Engleman also added a double to go with her home run and finished with a pair of hits and two runs scored.  Pilcher also added two base hits and two RBI, as BVU finished with nine.

Turnquist suffered the loss for the Beavers, coming on in relief and pitching three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. Britney Kubik got the start and worked 2.1 innings with Falline pitching the final 1.2

BVU is now 8-12 on the year and 0-2 in IIAC play.  The team is back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader at Loras College before playing a non-conference twinbill at Grinnell College on Sunday.