COCOA BEACH, Fla. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team ran its win streak to 10 with two victories at the Space Coast Spring Games on Thursday. The Blugolds defeated Western Connecticut State 13-10 in eight innings to start the day and followed with a 9-6 victory over Millikin at Pride Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blugolds (12-2) survived a late rally from Western Connecticut State in the first game. The Blugolds led 9-7 entering the bottom of the seventh before the Wolves pushed two runs across to force extra innings.
- UW-Eau Claire scored four times in the top of the eighth, providing the pivotal swing in the contest. Kenna Strunsee (Sr. - Waukesha, Wis./South) hit a go-ahead RBI single, and Molly Marquardt (So. - Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) later followed with a two-RBI double. Emma Raikowski (Jr. - Stevens Point, Wis.) added a groundout for an RBI to make it 13-9.
- The Wolves pulled one run back in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't get any closer.
- Jacie Schultz (Sr. - Lake Crystal, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) earned her sixth victory of the season in the circle with 1.2 innings of relief.
- Strunsee, Marquardt, Siri Springer (So. - Circle Pines, Minn./Mounds Park Academy), Norah Kutnink (So. - Winneconne, Wis.) and Brooklyn Swanepoel (Fr. - New Richmond, Wis.) all had two hits to pace the offense. Marquardt drove in three runs. Strunsee had two steals.
- Against Millikin, UW-Eau Claire broke the game open early with a nine-run first inning. The Blugolds sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame.
- Marquardt hit two doubles for a total of three RBI in the first inning. Mila Photopoulos (So. - Mundelein, Ill.) also hit a two-RBI double, and Paige Lathrop (Jr. - South Milwaukee, Wis.) hit two RBI singles in the inning.
- Millikin slowly whittled the lead away, and pulled within three after scoring three times in the fifth. But Schultz closed things down after that and picked up the save. She threw three innings and didn't allow any earned runs. Claire Beck (Sr. - Jefferson, Wis.) earned the win with four innings of work.
- Lathrop finished with three hits. Marquardt and Megan Patterson (Sr. - Johnsburg, Ill.) added two hits apiece.
UP NEXT
The Blugolds finish up their time at the Space Coast Spring Games with two more games on Friday, March 21. They take on Hamilton College at 12:15 p.m. Eastern and wrap up with a clash against Rutgers-Newark at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. Both games will be played at Blue Louisville Field.
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