INDIANOLA, Iowa (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire softball team allowed early runs in both games of a doubleheader against Simpson College (Iowa) and came up short in both contests at Simpson Softball Complex today.

In game one, a single run by Simpson in the first inning did the Blugolds in as they fell 1-0. In the second game, Eau Claire allowed three runs in the first inning and two in the second inning as they came up short 5-3.

Eau Claire scored a run in the third inning and two in the sixth to close to within two runs in the second game but that is as close as the Blugolds would get.

Katie Stalker (Sr.-Madison, Wis./La Follette) scored in the third inning for Eau Claire after an Ainsley Klar (Sr.-La Crosse, Wis./Aquinas) single to center field while Jenny Hess (Fr.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln), pinch running for Bekki Kidnie (Sr.-St. Paul, Minn./Johnson), scored in the sixth along with Emily Muller (So.-Lancaster, Wis.). The Blugolds left the game-tying run on the bases in the sixth and managed to get one person on the bases with one out in the seventh before Simpson recorded the final two outs to end the game.

The Blugolds had 14 hits on the day, including nine in the second game, tying for the second most they have recorded in a game this season. Emily Haluska (Fr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) led Eau Claire in game one with two hits while Stalker, Aleisha Harper (So.-Mondovi, Wis./Eau Claire North) and Sara Baumgartner (Jr.-Arcadia, Wis.) each had two hits to lead Eau Claire in game two.

Kassie Krummel (Fr.-Walcott, Iowa/Durant) got the start in the circle in game one, her second start of the season, and pitched five innings. She faced 18 batters and gave up the lone run to fall to 1-2 on the season. Ashley Meinen (So.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) pitched the final inning.

In the second game, Jess Hegseth (Fr.-Zumbrota , Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa ) opened the game and faced only five batters. Krummel relieved Hegseth, who gave up three hits and three runs, and pitched the remainder of the game. Krummel recorded two strikeouts as she faced 24 batters.

The Blugolds drop to 2-8 on the season while Simpson improves to 11-6.

Eau Claire will have the day off tomorrow and will next face Illinois Wesleyan on Tuesday in a doubleheader in Bloomington, Ill. Action is set to get underway at 3 p.m.