By: Jake Krier, UWEC Sports Information

LA CROSSE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - After a 4-0 start to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team was handed two losses at the hands of the UW-La Crosse Eagles on Monday. La Crosse cruised to an 8-0 win in only five innings in game one and followed that up with a closer 2-1 victory in the second game.

The Blugolds were limited to just three hits in the opener, while the Eagles cracked seven in the shutout win. They tallied all eight of their runs as RBIs as well. Pitching for La Crosse, Caitlyn Hughes had four punch-outs and walked two Eau Claire hitters. The game was closer for a while than the final score ended up, as the Blugolds only trailed 3-0 through three frames. The opposition had a big fourth inning, scoring five, and executing the mercy rule.

Game two was better, but Eau Claire still fell short. This pitching dual saw the pair of Cheyenne Johnson (So.-Poplar, WI/Northwestern) and Stephanie Wilczynski (So.-Naperville, IL/Waubonsie Valley) combine for six innings of seven-hit ball. The two earned runs were charged to Johnson, but the sophomore struck out four over five innings of work. Johnson also added one of five Blugold hits at the dish.

Katelyn Yute (Fr.-North Prairie, WI/Kettle Moraine) went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Brooke Varian (Jr.-Madison, WI/West) and Emma Lehman (Jr.-Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) each added a hit in the defeat.

The losses move Eau Claire's overall record on the season to 16-10 and 4-2 in the conference.

For the third consecutive day, the Blugolds will have another double header on Tuesday with their home opener against Saint Mary's (MN). Play is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.

Follow the action all season long on Blugold Game Day.