EAU CLAIRE - The eighth-ranked UW-Eau Claire softball team's 18-game winning streak was ended today in the second game of a doubleheader against 16th-ranked St. Scholastica at Gelein Field in Carson Park.

In game one, the Blugolds played their third extra inning game in four games and defeated the Saints, 2-1, in eight innings. In game two, the Saints rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Blugolds 3-2.

The Blugolds now have an overall record of 24-4 and the Saints have a record of 21-7.

In game one, every Blugold in staring lineup got a hit and first four batters got two hits for a total of 13 hits as a team. The Blugolds however would leave ten runners on base and trail St. Scholastica, 1-0 for majority of the game.

The Saints scored first in the second inning on a Blugold error to make the score 1-0. The Blugolds would try to tie it in sixth inning, but Rachel Paulus (Jr.-Wisconsin Rapids, WI/Lincoln) was thrown out at the plate. With the Blugolds down to their last out with runners on first and third, Paulus would hit a ground ball just out of the reach of the shortstop and Shannon Barone (Jr.-De Pere, WI) would score to send it to extra innings.

The Saints would threaten in the top of the eighth as they has runners on second and third with one out, but Blugold pitcher Mallory McKinney (Jr.-Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) would get out of the jam and the game would remain tied.

In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and runners at the corners, Terisa Syvertsen (Sr.-Woodbury, MN) would hit a fly ball to left center and the ball would pop out of the diving centerfielders glove and the Blugolds went onto win 2-1.

McKinney (16-1) got the victory as she pitched a complete game, scattered seven hits and struck out six.

In game two, the Saints got on the board first once again on an RBI single in the first inning. The Blugolds would tie it up in the bottom of the second inning as Amber Haack (Jr.-Madison, WI/LaFollette) hit her fifth homerun of the year. The Blugolds would then take the lead in the third inning as Rachel Paulus hit a RBI double that scored Casey Leisgang (So.-Seymour, WI) to make the score 2-1.

The Saints would tie it up in the in the top of the sixth inning on a ground out with the bases loaded. The Saints would then take the lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 3-2. The Blugolds would not threaten in the sixth or seventh inning and the Blugolds would lose 3-2.

Paulus led the Blugolds at the plate going 2-for-3 with a RBI.

Next the Blugolds will travel to face UW-Superior in a conference doubleheader on Thursday. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

- JR -