BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team split its first two games at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational on Saturday at Inspiration Field. The Blugolds fell to the College of Wooster 7-6 to start the day, but rebounded with a 10-8 victory over Illinois Wesleyan later in the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blugolds (18-4) fell into a four-run deficit early in the game against Wooster, and the deficit later grew to six by the end of the fourth inning. Wooster capitalized on five Blugold errors.
- Kendall Lenz (So. - Naperville, Ill./Central) stole home for the Blugolds' first run in the fourth, but UW-Eau Claire's biggest rally came in a five-run sixth. Haylie Schmidt (So. - Black River Falls, Wis.) and Kenna Strunsee (Sr. - Waukesha, Wis./South) both hit two-RBI doubles in the frame, and Katie Jones (Fr. - Big Bend, Wis./Mukwonago) added an RBI double for one more run. But the Scots escaped the danger with a one-run lead intact, and retired the Blugolds in order in the bottom of the seventh.
- Schmidt finished with two hits against Wooster. Lauren Trottier (So. - Burlington, Wis./Elkhorn) was charged with the loss in the circle despite giving up only two earned runs across 2.1 innings. Emma Sather (Sr. - Chetek, Wis./Chetek-Weyerhaeuser) pitched 4.2 innings in relief.
- The Blugolds reversed the script against Illinois Wesleyan, running out to a big lead before holding off a late charge.
- A two-RBI single from Claire Beck (Sr. - Jefferson, Wis.) highlighted a three-run third inning, and Megan Patterson (Sr. - Johnsburg, Ill.) added a three-run homer in the fifth to put the Blugolds ahead 6-1.
- IWU cut the deficit to three in the bottom of the fifth with a homer of its own. RBIs from Molly Marquardt (So. - Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) and Patterson in the sixth gave UW-Eau Claire a 10-3 advantage.
- Four run-scoring hits by Illinois Wesleyan in the bottom of the sixth slashed the deficit to 10-8, but they never got any closer.
- Beck earned the win in the circle. She pitched five innings and allowed three runs. Sather earned the save with 1.2 scoreless innings of work.
- Patterson had three hits and four RBI in Game 2. Emmy Olson (Fr. - Onalaska, Wis.) also had three hits. Marquardt added two hits.
UP NEXT
The Blugolds play the same two opponents to close out the invitational on Sunday, April 6. They play Wooster at 12:15 p.m. and Illinois Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at
Blugolds.com or on our app,
Blugold Sports, and on social media on
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook.
