TUCSON, Az. - The UW-Eau Claire softball team picked up two more wins at the Tucson Invitational Games here today, defeating Delaware Valley College, Pa. 12-8 in eight innings in game one and Marian College 3-1 in the day's second game.

Eau Claire has now won four in a row and is 8-3 on the season.

In the first game today, the Blugolds started out quickly but down the stretch Delaware Valley fought its way back to tie by the end of the seventh. The Blugolds scored in the top of the first, while Delaware score two runs in the bottom of the second to lead the Blugolds by one. In the top of the third, Eau Claire scored one more to make the score 2-2. The Blugolds then scored six more runs between the fourth and fifth innings, while Delaware Valley had six runs between the fifth and seventh to send the game into extra innings. Eau Claire was able to bring home four runs in the top of the eighth, with Jill Janke (Sr.-Black River Falls, Wis.) driving in two and Casey Leisgang (Sr.-Seymour, Wis.) bringing in two more runs with her third home run of the season. Delaware was unable to score a run in the bottom of the eighth, which brought the game to a close.

Leisgang led the Blugolds in hitting, going 5-for-6. Leisgang and four other Blugolds each accumulated two RBIs, while Heidi Arciszewski (So.-Thorp, Wis.) and Leisgang tied for most runs scored in the game with three. Jessica Flood (So.-Madison, Wis./La Follette) started at pitcher, throwing for three innings. She faced 13 batters and gave up two runs, both unearned, on two hits. Bri Sturm (Jr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) closed the game, pitching the last five innings to get the win. She allowed two hits, but gave up six runs, three of which were earned. Sturm is now 3-0 on the season.

Against Marian in game two, neither team score until the fourth inning. Marian scored the first runs in the bottom of the fourth, while Eau Claire scored all three of its runs on three hits in the top of the fifth. Arciszewski, Sara Baumgartner (Fr.-Arcadia, Wis.) and Emily Pierce (Fr.-Holmen, Wis.) each picked up runs for Eau Claire.

Bekki Kidnie (So.-St. Paul, MN/Johnson) had the most hits and tied for most at-bats for the team, going 2-for-4. Jenny Ross (Fr.-Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) pitched a complete game, facing 24 batters and striking out nine. She allowed three hits and one earned run. Ross is now 4-0 on the season.

The Blugolds will take on Augsburg College (Minn.) tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. and follow that with one at 6:30 p.m. against Doane College (Neb.). Both games will take place at Lincoln Regional Park.

Eau Claire-Delaware Valley Box Score

Eau Claire-Marian Box Score

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