MENOMONIE, Wis. (Blugolds.com)— The UW-Eau Claire Softball team kept their conference play rolling in a doubleheader at UW-Stout Wednesday evening. The Blugolds picked up two big wins, 5-2 and 12-0, against a young Blue Devil squad as they move to 4-0 in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Coach's Recap
The first score came just about halfway through game one when Amanda Fischer (Sr.-Wausau, WI/West) took her first pitch of her at bat and sent it over the right centerfield fence for a solo homerun. The game would remain scoreless until the 6th inning as the Blugolds put up four runs on three hits, which included a homerun from right fielder Sam Noetzelman (So.-Delano, MN). That homerun, also Noetzelman's first college career homer, scored two runs to extend the UW-Eau Claire lead 5-0. Other big plays in the 6th inning came from second baseman Leah Wolff (So.-Middleton, WI) who put down a sacrifice bunt in front of the catcher to advance the runner who would score three plays later. Wolff would come up big on the defensive end as well with a diving catch from a pop up bunt over the first base foul line.
Zana Lorbetske (Jr.-Rhinelander, WI/Three Lakes) struck out nine batters, three of which happened in the bottom of the 7th inning.
The bats were swinging in game two as the Blugolds plated 12 runs off 13 hits to shut out the Blue Devils. UW-Eau Claire was first to strike in the 3rd inning where two walks and a Stout error would allow three Blugold runs to score. Nikki Brooks (Sr.-Hammond, WI/St. Croix Central) got things rolling in the 4th with a double to right center. With two outs, Fischer would then send a deep fly ball to center field for a triple that scored Brooks. Just one play later, Casey Arnold (Sr.-Kaukauna, WI) put a ball in left center to score Fischer and extend the UW-Eau Claire lead 4-0.
Scoring one run in the 5th and two in the 6th, UWEC led 7-0 heading into the 7th inning. But the Blugolds weren't done yet. Another Blue Devil error and a line drive from Noetzelman put two runners on base. Fischer then sent a line drive to left field that scored one before Rachel Heffel (So.-Racine, WI/Case) turned an inside pitch into a base hit bunt. With bases loaded and no outs, UW-Stout pitcher Abbey Ball walked a batter with the bases loaded to chalk up another UWEC run. Taylor Pierce (Sr.-Ashwaubenon, WI) grabbed three RBIs when an error off her line drive to right center added the last runs of the night.
Getting the job done on the mound for the Blugolds was Lauren Blasczyk (So.-Appleton, WI/East) who struck out two and walked no batters.
Amanda Fischer had a day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with that triple and a homerun. She also recorded three RBIs and three stolen bases while being walked three times. Heffel went 3-for-6 while Pierce went 3-for-7, also adding 3 RBIs in game two.
"The team was on top of our game today," said Fischer. "Everyone stepped up at the plate and made the adjustments necessary to hit the ball hard, a lot."
UW-Eau Claire improves to 13-11 (4-0 WIAC) on the year while UW-Stout moves to 8-16 (0-4). The Blugolds are on the road this weekend as they head to UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, April 11 and UW-Whitewater on April 12.
-MRW-