MENOMONIE, Wis. - The seventh-ranked UW-Eau Claire softball team defeated UW-Stout 6-2 in game one of a doubleheader but fell in game two 8-0 in five innings at Alumni Field today.

The Blugolds are now 18-5 on the season and 6-2 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Stout is 12-12 overall and 2-4 in the conference. The last time the Blue Devils beat the Blugolds was during the 2004-05 season in the conference tournament.

In game one the Blugolds jumped out to an early lead with Bekki Kidnie (Jr.-St. Paul, Minn./Johnson) scoring the Blugolds' first run in the top of the first. The Blugolds then added three more runs in the top of second as Tamara Zeman (Jr.-Lodi, Wis.), Katie Stalker (Jr.-Madison, Wis./La Follette) and Jenny Janke (Fr.-Black River Falls, Wis.) scored.

Stout cut Eau Claire's lead to two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to make the score 4-2, but the Blugolds were able to add back to more insurance runs with Zeman and Meghan O'Hearn (So.-Woodbury, Minn.) reaching home in the top of the fifth, helping the Blugolds to a 6-2 win.

In game two the Blugolds were able to record four hits but were unable to score any runs while Stout scored eight runs on eight hits, only two of which were earned. The Blugolds also committed four errors in the game.

Sara Baumgartner (So.-Arcadia, Wis.) led the day with four hits in five at-bats, including a 3-for-4 performance in game one. Zeman led the day with two runs while Aleisha Harper (Fr.-Mondovi, Wis./Eau Claire North) and Jen Barron (Sr.-Brooklyn Center, Minn.) both picked up two RBIs.

Bri Sturm (Sr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa), Ashley Meinen (Fr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) and Jenny Ross (So.-Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) all saw time in the circle. Sturm pitched three innings in game one and one in game two and was credited with a win and loss, making her season record 5-2. She faced 23 batters on the day and allowed seven hits and five runs, three of which were earned, while striking out two.

Friday the Blugolds will be back at home for a doubleheader against UW-Superior. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

- KM -