EAU CLAIRE - Mallory McKinney (So. -Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) and Andrea Neuville (Jr. -Green Bay/West) each pitched two-hit shutouts as the seventh-ranked UW-Eau Claire softball team earned a doubleheader sweep over UW-Stout, winning by scores of 1-0 and 8-0 in six innings here today at Gelein Field.

The Blugolds improve to 25-6 on the season and 8-2 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Stout falls to 11-16 for the year and 3-5 in conference action.

Casey Leisgang (Fr.-Seymour) gave McKinney all the run support she would need in game one of the double dip. Leisgang cracked a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first on a two-strike offering from Stout hurler Ande Schrader. The longball was her team-leading sixth of the year.

McKinney did the rest of the work as the Blugold offense fell silent after the solo shot by Leisgang. She allowed just two hits, both coming in the fifth inning, while striking out four and walking just one. She allowed just one runner to reach third base all game.

McKinney allowed back-to-back singles to start the fifth but then retired the next batter on a pop up to the shortstop. After a sacrifice bunt that moved the tying run to third and the go-ahead run to second, McKinney induced a groundout to end the threat. The Eau Claire right-hander moved to 11-4 on the year with the win.

Neuville picked up in the nightcap right where McKinney left off, throwing six scoreless innings and allowing just two hits. She did not allow a runner past second base all evening as she struck out four hitters and walked nobody.

The Blugolds mustered an unearned run in the first inning when Leisgang reached on an error and scored later on an RBI single by McKinney. Amber Haack (So.-Madison/LaFollette) made the score 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run double.

Eau Claire continued to widen the lead in the fifth, as McKinney and Jill Janke (Fr.-Black River Falls) knocked back-to-back RBI singles for a 5-0 lead. Leisgang ended the game in the bottom of the sixth, slugging a two-run home run to end the game in walk off fashion. The homer was her seventh of the season, leaving her just three shy of the team record.

Neuville moved to 12-2 on the season and lowered her ERA to 0.78. The pair of shutout hurled today by Eau Claire raised the team's season total to 13. The Eau Claire school record for shutouts in a single season is 17, set in 1999.

Leisgang finished the nightcap 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. McKinney was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

The Blugolds have the weekend off and will return to action next Tuesday. UW-Superior will be at Gelein Field for a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

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