DEKALB, Ill. (
www.blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team began their season on Saturday during their opening games of the Millikin University Tournament. The Blugolds faced off with nonconference opponents Hope College and Millikin University to start their 2024 campaign. The two games went in opposite directions for the Blugolds as they split the opening day with a 9-7 victory over Hope and fell to Millikin, 11-3
The offensive firepower came quickly for Eau Claire in their opening matchup as the Blugolds soared to an early 4-1 lead after the first inning.
Kenna Strunsee (Jr. – Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) was the first Blugold of the season to cross home plate after
Claire Beck (Jr. – Jefferson, Wis.) singled through the left side to give UWEC a 1-0 lead. The very next at-bat,
Molly Marquardt (Fr. – Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln Way West) recorded her first collegiate hit with an RBI single that scored
Paige Lathrop (So. – South Milwaukee, Wis.) form third base to increase the Eau Claire lead.
Hailey Hagedorn (So. – Farmington, Minn.) and
Ella Henderson (Fr. – Rosemount, Minn.) joined in on the early fun with back-to-back doubles that scored Marquardt and Hagedorn, giving the Blugolds a 4-0 lead after one half inning.
The Blugold lead lasted into the third inning as Hope College tallied a single run in the bottom of the first and four runs in the bottom of the third to give UWEC a 4-5 deficit into the top of the fourth.
UW-Eau Claire answered the call and found their offense once again in the ensuing inning as
Ella Henderson crossed home plate on a Hope throwing error, tying the game at 5-5. Two batters later,
Kenna Strunsee laid down a sacrifice bunt to score
Breann Blanchard (Fr. – Rockford, Minn.) from third as the Blugolds regained their lead. UWEC added from there as
Paige Lathrop hit an RBI single and
Kenna Strunsee stole home to increase the lead to 8-5. Hope College found a one run answer in the bottom of the fourth as the Blugolds held their two-run lead into the sixth inning.
In the top of the sixth,
Claire Beck found her second RBI single of the day that found
Kenna Strunsee crossing home plate for third time, making it 9-6 in favor of UWEC. Hope College answered in the bottom of the sixth with a single run, but the Blugold defense shutdown any offensive spark from the Flying Dutch as they secured their first win of the season, 9-7.
From the pitching stripe,
Jocelyn Hancock (Sr. – Verona, Wis.) earned the first win of the season allowing only five runs on five hits during the 17 batters in the three innings she pitched.
Emma Sather (Jr. – Chetek, Wis./Chetek-Weyerhaeuser) stepped in in the fourth inning and faced 10 batters in two innings. Sather recorded the only strikeout for the UWEC pitching staff and allowed one run on just three hits.
Claire Beck earned her first save of the year as she pitched the sixth and seventh innings and retired six of the eight batters she faced.
The second game of the afternoon found the Blugolds on the opposite end of a scoring surge as Millikin University jumped out to a 7-1 lead after the first inning.
Hailey Hagedorn found the first run for the Blugolds with an RBI single into center field in the bottom of the first to gain some momentum back for UWEC.
The energy shifted back in favor of Millikin in the fourth and fifth innings as the Big Blue added one run in each frame to increase the Blugold deficit to 9-1.
In the bottom of the fifth,
Claire Beck rifled an RBI single to right field with runners on the corners, allowing
Kendall Lenz (Fr. – Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) to cross home plate for the first time in a Blugold jersey. The next at bat,
Molly Marquardt grounded out to the shortstop and moved
Paige Lathrop to score and cut the deficit to 9-3. After a jump in the bottom of the fifth, Millikin kept the Blugolds off the scoreboard and added two runs of their own, giving Eau Claire their first loss of the season, 11-3.
The Blugolds (1-1, WIAC 0-0) will wrap up their weekend at Millikin University on Sunday. March 3
rd when they take on Hanover College and Coe College. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports.
