EAU CLAIRE - The 15th-ranked UW-Eau Claire softball team collected 31 hits in 12 innings to score a doubleheader sweep over UW-Superior, winning by scores of 15-2 in five innings and 9-3 here today at Gelein Field.

The Blugolds improve to 27-6 on the season and improve their first place standing with a 10-2 record in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. The Yellowjackets fall to 19-10 on the season and 5-5 in WIAC play.

Mallory McKinney (So.-Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) cruised in game one of the doubleheader, tossing all five innings and allowing just two unearned runs on two hits. She struck out four and walked none to improve to 12-4 on the season.

After Superior scored an unearned run in the top of the first, the Blugolds tied the score in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by McKinney. Eau Claire took 6-1 lead in the second when Megan Oster (Fr.-Eau Claire/Immanuel Lutheran) knocked an RBI single and Molly Blakewell (Sr.-Eau Claire/North) smashed a three-run homer for a five-run inning. Blakewell added an RBI double in the next inning as the Blugolds tacked on three more runs for a 9-1 lead.

After the Yellowjackets mustered another unearned run, Eau Claire exploded for six more runs in the fourth to put the game away. Jill Janke (Fr.-Black River Falls) homered to lead off the inning and Oster added a two-RBI double as five different Blugolds collected RBI in the inning. Superior was unable to close the gap and Eau Claire took the game 15-2 in five innings.

Blakewell finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored while McKinney finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. The Blugolds finished with 16 hits for the game.

Eau Claire had to come from behind in the nightcap as Andrea Neuville (Jr.-Green Bay/West) looked for her 13th straight win in the circle. The Yellowjackets mounted a three-run rally in the top half of the first, but Neuville held them scoreless on just two hits over the final six innings.

The Blugolds battled back in the second inning as Blakewell again came up with the big blow. After a Casey Leisgang (Fr.-Seymour) RBI single, Blakewell slugged a three-run shot to give Eau Claire a 4-3 lead.

The Blugolds widened the lead in the next inning as Janke hit a two-run home run and Oster came through with an RBI single. Eau Claire added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to win by a score of 9-3.

Neuville moved to 13-2 on the year after starting the season 0-2. She allowed six hits and three runs in a complete game effort, striking out two and walking nobody. Blakewell was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored as six different Blugolds collected multi-hit games. The Blugolds tallied 15 hits in game two to finish with 31 hits in 12 innings.

Eau Claire will next be in action this weekend when they head to Stevens Point for the final WIAC Cluster Tournament of the season. The Blugolds begin with UW-Oshkosh Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

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