ST. GEORGE, Utah -- The Wisconsin softball team split its action on Saturday at the Dixie Stae Tournament, defeating New Mexico 3-1 before falling to Southern Utah, 5-4. 

In the first game, Wisconsin's Maddie Schwartz and New Mexico's Amber Linton started a pitching battle early on. With both teams threatening, but held scoreless through the first four innings.

The tie was broke in the top of the first with the away team Badgers scored thanks to an Ellie Hubbard double. Freshman Eden Dempey scored the go ahead run after running for Kayla Konwent who reached base with a leadoff walk.

The Lobos had a response of their own in the fifth, scoring one run themselves to put the game back to even.

With a New Mexico pitching chance after Abby Herbst reached with a single, Peyton Bannon was dubbed to run for Herbst at first. A stolen base landed Bannon on second, but it didn't matter as junior Fiona Girardot launched her first homerun of the season over the fence to reclaim the lead for UW 3-1.

The score would hold as the Badgers retired the Lobos last six outs of the game, starting off the day with a win.

Game two of the afternoon proved just as exciting as the Southern Utah Thunderbirds got out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.

UW responded with a two-run third inning of their own. As the home team, back-to-back-to-back hits by Peyton Bannon, Kayla Konwent and Hubbard strung together two RBI's to reclaim the Wisconsin lead. The Badgers added another insurance run off the bat of Lauren Foster in the fourth inning as the graduate senior notched her first hit back in the lineup this season.

In payback fashion, while Wisconsin won the game on a go-ahead sixth inning homerun in the first contest, Southern Utah took the lead on a three-run shot in the sixth to take the lead 4-3. The Badgers would threaten in the final two innings, but the Thunderbirds sealed the upset at Dixie State.

Overall leaders on the day include Konwent, who went 3-5 drawing one walk and two hit-by-pitch at bats, and Girardot who went 2-5 with three RBI's. Maddie Schwartz threw the whole first game totaling nine strikeouts on only four hits while sophomore Ava Justman threw the whole second game notching eight strikouts on five hits.

Up next: Wisconsin will cap off its time in St. George on SUnday with another doubleheader against New Mexico and Dixie State before heading over to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a series matchup with Utah.