EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — UW-Eau Claire (4-3) secured a commanding doubleheader victory over Augsburg University (2-5) on Saturday, first winning 8-0 and then dominating with a 19-1 score.
In the first game, the Blugolds recorded 10 hits, including three doubles and a home run, while holding Augsburg to four hits over five innings. They dominated in the first inning, scoring six runs to establish an early lead.
Brooklyn Swanepoel walked and stole second, setting the stage for
Paige Lathrop to walk and
Molly Marquardt to single, bringing Swanepoel home.
Claire Beck contributed with a sacrifice fly, allowing Lathrop to score.
Norah Kutnink's two-run homer scored Marquardt.
Hailey Hagedorn doubled, and
Chloe Ricard singled to drive Hagedorn in.
Emma Raikowski's single advanced Ricard, who then scored on Swanepoel's single. UW-Eau Claire led 6-0 after the first inning.
The fourth inning saw
Bella Florio pinch run for Marquardt, steal second, and score on Beck's double. Kutnink's single brought
Kennedy Tumm, pinch running for Beck, home, extending the lead. The game concluded with the Blugolds securing an 8-0 victory.
Lauren Trottier pitched a complete game shutout, allowing no earned runs over 5 innings. Trottier faced 22 batters, gave up 4 hits, and issued 3 walks while striking out 4. She threw 81 pitches, with 43 strikes, maintaining a WHIP of 1.40, improving her record to 2-2 for the season.
Norah Kutnink led the UW-Eau Claire offense by hitting a home run and collecting three RBIs, contributing two hits and scoring a run.
Claire Beck added two RBIs with a double, finishing with one hit.
Chloe Ricard registered two hits, including a double, and tallied one RBI while also stealing a base.
In the second game, UW-Eau Claire continued their offensive onslaught, tallying five home runs and recording 19 RBIs. The Blugolds scored six runs in the first inning, highlighted by
Breeley Gluch's three-run homer following RBI singles from Hagedorn and Ricard. The score stood at 6-0 after the first inning.
The second inning saw UWEC add another six runs, with
Claire Beck hitting a two-run homer and Ricard contributing a sacrifice fly that brought in
Norah Kutnink. The inning ended with a 12-0 lead.
In the third inning, UW-Eau Claire extended its lead with a solo homer from
Molly Marquardt, followed by back-to-back home runs from Beck and Hagedorn, making it 16-0.
The Blugolds added three more runs in the fourth inning.
Marlee Smith reached first on an error that allowed
Katie Jones to score, and
Hope Gilhooly singled to left field, bringing in two more runs. Augsburg's Lola Pilon hit a solo homer in the fourth, making the score 19-1.
Kasey Felden delivered a stellar performance for UW-Eau Claire, pitching 4 innings with only 1 earned run on 1 hit while striking out 4 batters. Felden maintained control throughout, allowing no walks and throwing 37 strikes out of 52 pitches, resulting in a WHIP of 0.25.
Emma Sather provided relief, pitching 1 inning without conceding a run, despite issuing 2 walks, and recorded 1 strikeout in her appearance.
Marquardt led the offensive charge in the second game with a home run and four RBIs, scoring twice. Beck added two home runs, driving in three runs and crossing the plate three times. Hagedorn contributed with a home run and a double, tallying three hits, three RBIs, and three runs. Gluch also delivered a home run and four RBIs, complementing her performance with three assists in the field.
With this doubleheader, UW-Eau Claire improves to a record of 5-3, while Augsburg falls to 2-6.
In their next game, the Blugolds will host St. Norbert College on Sunday, March 8, at 1 p.m. at Sonnentag Fieldhouse in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
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