RIVER FALLS, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Facing UW-River Falls in a doubleheader, the UW-Eau Claire softball team dropped game one 9-4 but bounced back to record a 3-0 win in game two at Ramer Field today.
In game one, the Blugolds scored two runs in each of the first two innings. River Falls scored four in the first and four in the sixth to help in its 9-4 victory.
In the top of the first, Jenny Hess (Jr.-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) scored the Blugolds' first run after an Emily Muller (Sr.-Lancaster, Wis.) single, and Muller later crossed home plate following a Nikki Bromelkamp (Sr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) single to left field. But the Falcons answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
In the top of the second, Hess again scored after an error by the shortstop, and Taylor Pierce (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon) came home later in the inning after an Emily Haluska (Jr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) single. But following two runs to tie the game at 4-4, River Falls took a 5-4 lead after the fourth inning and then went up 9-4 after the sixth.
The Blugolds finished with 13 hits on the day while River Falls had 12. Pierce led Eau Claire with three hits.
Emma Wishau (So.-Waterford, Wis./Union) pitched six innings and struck out one batter while facing 34. She dropped to 4-5 on the season.
In game two, every run of the game was scored in the third inning.
With no one out and three runners on bases in the top of the third, Sarah Fern (Jr.-Brooklyn Center, Minn./Park Center) drove in two runs with a single to left field. Hess and Amanda Houle (So.-Chisago City, Minn./Chisago Lakes) scored on the hit. Hannah Gaspar (Fr.-Mankato, Minn./Loyola), pinch running for Fern, crossed home plate later in the inning with just one out as Amanda Fischer (Fr.-Wausau, Wis./West) brought her in with a single to left field. But after a pitching change, the inning ended on a double play.
The Blugolds finished with eight hits but left five runners on bases. River Falls had six hits and stranded 11 runners. Fern led the game with two RBI while Pierce led with two hits.
Ashley Meinen (Sr.-Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell) pitched her second complete game of the year to improve to 5-2. She had three strikeouts.
Eau Claire is now 12-8 overall and 4-2 in the conference. River Falls is 12-7 on the season and 1-1 in the WIAC.
Saturday the Blugolds will be in Ashland for two more games. They will face the College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) at noon and will follow with a contest against Northland College.
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