MENOMONIE - The UW-Eau Claire softball team defeated UW-Platteville 2-1 and then defeated UW-Oshkosh 3-0 in the championship game today on its way to claiming the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Softball Tournament Title.

The tournament title is the fifth in school history and the first since 2000. The Blugolds also receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Regional Tournament to be held Friday, May 12th and Saturday, May 13th.

The Blugolds now have an overall record of 34-4 and have won 28 of their last 29 games.

The Blugolds faced UW-Platteville in their first game of the day. Both teams were the only two undefeated teams left in the tournament.

For the third game in a row, the Blugolds scored in the first inning as Casey Leisgang (So.-Seymour, WI) led off the bottom of the first inning with home run to put the Blugolds up 1-0. It was Leisgang's fifth leadoff home run of the season and she tied a team record for home runs in a season with her 10th.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the fifth when Leisgang would score on an error to put the Blugolds up 2-0.

Pitcher Mallory McKinney (Jr.-Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) was cruising until in the top of the seventh, the Pioneers hit a solo home run off of her to make the score 2-1. However, McKinney would get the final two batters out as the Blugolds advanced to the championship round with a 2-1 victory.

McKinney (22-1) allowed just three hits and struck out seven in the win. The top of the order delivered at the plate for the Blugolds as Leisgang was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored. Rachel Paulus (Jr.-Wisconsin Rapids, WI/Lincoln) was 2-for-2 and had a stolen base.

In the championship game, the Blugolds faced the number two seed UW-Oshkosh. Just like the regular season meetings between the two teams, pitching dominated the game for the first five innings. The Titans had their chances early in the game as they left two runners on base in the first and third innings.

The Blugolds finally broke through in top of the sixth inning as Rachel Paulus led off the inning with a double to center field. Paulus then advance to third on a Mallory McKinney single. The next batter, Jill Janke (So.-Black River Falls, WI) then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Paulus and put the Blugolds up 1-0.

The Blugolds then sealed the deal in the top of the seventh as Casey Leisgang hit a two-run home run to left center to put the Blugolds up 3-0. The homer by Leisgang was her 11th of the season and that sets a new team single-season record for home runs in a season by an individual. Jill Schoenike held the previous record with 10 in the 1999 season.

The Titans would get two runners on with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but pitcher Mallory McKinney got out of the jam and struck out the final Titan batter and the Blugolds went on to win 3-0. McKinney (23-1) allowed seven hits and struck out eight. She started all four games in the tournament and gave up just one run in 24 innings pitched.

The NCAA Regional Tournament will begin Friday, May 12th with the site and opponents to be announced at a later time.

Platteville Box Score

Oshkosh Box Score

Tournament Web Site

- JR -