EAU CLAIRE, Wis.- The third-ranked UW-Eau Claire softball team moved to 4-0 in WIAC play today, winning 6-2 and 7-5 against UW-Platteville today at Carson Park.

The Blugolds improve to 16-3 on the season and sit atop the WIAC standings with their undefeated mark. With the two losses, Platteville falls to 3-13 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Eau Claire wasted little time getting on the board in the first game. Lead off hitter Katie Stalker (Jr.-Madison, Wis./LaFollette) reached and an infield single and advanced to second on her 11th steal of the season. Two batters later Aleisha Harper drove Stalker in with a single of her own. Bekki Kidnie (Jr.-St. Paul, Minn./Johnson) followed Harper with a single, to drive in the second run and quickly take a 2-0 lead. The Blugolds scored twice more in the second inning with an RBI single from Stalker, scoring pinch runner Emily Muller (Fr.-Lancaster, Wis.) and Harper's second RBI of the game, driving in Becca Moos (Fr.-White Bear Lake, Minn./St. Agnes).

The Pioneers scored two runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the Blugold lead to 4-2. Eau Claire would answer in the bottom half of the inning and would score once more in the fifth inning to take the first game 6-2.

Bri Sturm (Sr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) picked up her fourth win of the season, pitching four innings allowing just three hits. Ashley Meinen (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) earned her first save of the season, pitching the final three innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Jen Barron (Sr.-Brooklyn Center, Minn.) led paced the offense, going 3-for-3, while Stalker went 3-for-4 with a run scored.

In the second game, Eau Claire survived a late-inning scare from Platteville to secure the second win. The Blugolds again started strong, posting two runs in each of the first two innings to take a commanding 4-0 lead. The Pioneers didn't go away, chipping away at the Blugolds' lead, to pull within 4-3 after the top half of the fifth inning. But Eau Claire would regain control in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to seal the deal. Nikki Brommelkamp (Fr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) tripled to drive in Moos, and Betsy Kettinger (Sr.-Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) followed with a single to drive in Brommelkamp, and three batters later Stalker drove in the final run on an infield single. Platteville scratched out two more runs in the final inning, but fell short of the comeback bid, as Eau Claire walked away with the sweep.

Meinen recorded the win in the circle, hurling a five-hit shutout in four innings of work. Brooke Malnory (So.-Chippewa Falls, Wis.) earned the save, pitching three innings and giving up four rus.

The Blugolds return to action tomorrow for their third consecutive conference doubleheader against UW-La Crosse. Tommorow will be the second day of ?Leave a Legacy" weekend and will honor Eau Claire alumni and former coaches. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

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