COCOA BEACH, Fla. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team swept its first two games at the Space Coast Spring Games on Wednesday at White Easton Field. The Blugolds defeated Rutgers-Newark 8-0 in five innings before blanking Western Connecticut State 10-0 in six frames, riding dominant pitching performances in both.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A pair of complete game shutouts in the circle powered the Blugolds (10-2). Claire Beck (Sr. - Jefferson, Wis.) threw a complete game one-hitter against Rutgers-Newark, while Jacie Schultz (Sr. - Lake Crystal, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) pitched a complete game two-hitter against Western Connecticut State.
- The Blugolds gave Beck a one-run lead to work with in the first inning against Rutgers-Newark, and that was enough. She held the Scarlet Raiders to one hit across the five frames, striking out six. She walked one.
- The UW-Eau Claire offense broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth by plating five runs. Molly Marquardt (So. - Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) hit an RBI double in the frame, and Haylie Schmidt (So. - Black River Falls, Wis.) added a two-RBI single. Beck, Mila Photopoulos (So. - Mundelein, Ill.), Breann Blanchard (So. - Hanover, Minn./Rockford) and Kenna Strunsee (Sr. - Waukesha, Wis./South) all added run-scoring singles as well.
- Strunsee, Marquardt, Paige Lathrop (Jr. - South Milwaukee, Wis.) and Brooklyn Swanepoel (Fr. - New Richmond, Wis.) all had two hits in the first game.
- Schultz took a perfect game into the sixth inning against Western Connecticut State. The Wolves got their first baserunner off a lead-off single in the bottom of the sixth.
- Schultz finished out the shutout across six innings of work, striking out two while walking none. She held the Wolves to two hits.
- Just like against Rutgers-Newark, the Blugolds took the lead in the first inning and never looked back. They led 4-0 entering the sixth before pushing six runs across in the final frame. Marquardt and Megan Patterson (Sr. - Johnsburg, Ill.) both hit RBI doubles, and Emma Raikowski (Jr. - Stevens Point, Wis.) hit a two-RBI triple.
- Strunsee, Lathrop and Raikowski had two hits apiece in Game 2. Strunsee also stole two bases.
UP NEXT
The Blugolds are back on the diamond on Thursday, March 20, for two more games. They have a rematch with Western Connecticut State at 12:15 p.m. Eastern before taking on Millikin at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
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