CLERMONT, Fla. (
www.blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team was back on the diamond on Wednesday after taking a day off on their trip in Florida. With two games during the afternoon, the Blugolds battled hard on the field against nonconference opponents, Luther College and Southern Virginia University. Despite recording 16 hits, 11 strikeouts, and a late rally in game two, UW-Eau Claire fell in both games 10-4 and 4-2.
Game one began in the opponents' favor as Luther College rattled off six runs in the first three innings to put UWEC at a 0-6 deficit. Eau Claire battled back in the fifth as
Kenna Strunsee (Jr. – Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha South) crossed home on a fielder's choice play by the Norse shortstop to cut the Luther lead to 6-1. After a
Molly Marquardt (Fr. – Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln Way West) walk loaded the bases,
Ella Henderson (Fr. – Rosemount, Minn.) hit an RBI single to score
Paige Lathrop (So. – South Milwaukee, Wis.) from third for the Blugolds second run of the game.
During the next at bat,
Hailey Hagedorn (So. – Farmington, Minn.) also hit an RBI single to score
Breann Blanchard (Fr. – Rockford, Minn.) as UWEC continued to chip away. The Blugold comeback was stopped at three after a strikeout ended the top of the fifth.
The Norse added two more runs on the bottom of the fifth before
Claire Beck (Jr. – Jefferson, Wis.) hit in the fourth and final run for Eau Claire in the top of the sixth with a single to left field allowing Strunsee to score and cutting the deficit back to four runs. Luther added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and kept UWEC off the board in the seventh to serve the Blugolds their fifth loss of the season, 10-4.
The second game of the afternoon saw the first match up between UW-Eau Claire and Southern Virginia University in both programs' histories. Eau Claire found themselves down early as the Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on single to right field.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blugolds found some luck on an error by Southern Virginia allowed
Siri Springer (Fr. – Lino Lakes, Minn./Mounds Park Academy) and
Hailey Hagedorn to cross home plate and tie the game at 2-2. Neither side found their way to break the tie before the end of the seventh as the Blugolds and Knights would head to extra innings.
With the international tie breaker rule in effect, SVU ripped an a double into right center to begin the eighth and take a 3-2 lead. The following batter singled down the right field line to increase the Knights' lead to 4-2 before the end of the half inning. UWEC was able to find runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, but a double play by the Knights sealed the 4-2 Eau Claire defeat.
The Blugolds (6-6, WIAC 0-0) will be back at Legends Way Fields tomorrow, March 21
st with two more games. UWEC will face off against Framingham State at 11:15 a.m. ET and Plattsburgh State at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports.
