SALEM, Va. - After being down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, the UW-Eau Claire softball team turned it up a notch to force extra innings, and ended up defeating UW-Whitewater 4-3 in nine innings with a walk-off home run to become the 2008 NCAA Division III Champion at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex today.

Jill Janke (Sr.-Black River Falls, Wis.) capped the Blugolds national title with a two-out, line-drive home run blast to right field in the bottom of the ninth.

The softball team's national title is the seventh team title in UW-Eau Claire's athletics history but only the second since joining the NCAA. The men's golf team captured the Blugolds' first NCAA championship in 2001. Prior to that the Blugolds won National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics titles in women's swimming (1983, 1987 and 1988), women's cross country (1984) and men's hockey (1984).

The matchup between the Blugolds and Warhawks represented the third time in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history two schools have met for a national championship - in any sport - and the first-ever meeting between two league opponents for the national title in softball. The previous national title meetings were in men's ice hockey with UW-Stevens Point beating UW-River Falls in 1993 and UW-River Falls upending UW-Superior in 1994.

For the third day in a row, Eau Claire got down early. Whitewater was the first to get on the board, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Eau Claire answered in the third with Katie Stalker (So.-Madison, Wis./La Follette) scoring on a Tamara Zeman (So.-Lodi, Wis.) groundout. Whitewater again would take the lead in the fifth after a two-run home run by Suzanne Gersich. The score was then 3-1 and remained that until the seventh.

The game looked like it was over, as Whitewater had two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Eau Claire would not go down without a fight. Stalker again used her speed to get on base after a single to the pitcher. Casey Leisgang (Sr.-Seymour, Wis.) singled to third base and beat the throw to also get on. With runners on first and second, a single to left by Zeman allowed Stalker to score. Janke was then walked and the bases were loaded. Michelle Butkus (Sr.-Medford, Wis.) reached on a fielder's choice on the next at-bat, and Eau Claire advanced all its runners after an error by the shortstop. The inning ended as Jenny Ross (Fr.-Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) struck out, but the damage was done and Eau Claire forced extra innings. Janke's home run was the final scoring of the game.

Stalker led the Blugolds today, hitting 3-for-4. She scored two runs for Eau Claire and also had two assists. Leisgang and Butkus were 2-for-4, while three others each had a hit. Zeman led the team with two RBIs. For Whitewater, Gersich went 3-for-4, Amanda LeBeau was 2-for-4 and three others picked up one hit a piece. Three Warhawks each scored runs and Gersich led the team with two RBIs while Lauren Rankins had one.

Ross picked up her 27th win of the season, a school record, pitching the complete nine innings. She struck out six batters in 33 at-bats, gave up eight hits and three earned runs. Jessica Stang was given the loss and ended the season with a 16-6 record. She allowed 10 hits and four runs, three of which were earned, and struck out six batters in 34 at-bats.

Eau Claire had five players named to the All-Tournament team. Leisgang was selected as the second baseman, Butkus as the third baseman, Ross as a pitcher, and Janke and Stalker were at-large picks. Whitewater also had five selections, with Lauren Cruz, Amy Gahl and Gersich selected for the outfield, Jessica Stang at pitcher and LeBeau as an at-large.

The Blugolds end their season with a 36-11 record, while Whitewater fell to 39-11. Leisgang, Janke, Butkus and Tessa Pecha (Sr.-Eau Claire, Wis./North) all end their careers with the softball team.</