EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com)— As the No. 1 seed heading into the conference tournament, UW-Eau Claire knew they had a tall order to fill in a spot they worked hard to earn. But No. 6 UW-River Falls and No. 2 UW-Whitewater had the targets placed on the backs of the Blugold squad, looking to cut down the nationally ranked No. 25 UW-Eau Claire team. In a tough first day of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament play, both the Falcons and the Warhawks picked up wins over the Blugolds, knocking them out of the tournament they hosted.

Box Score vs. UWRF | Box Score vs. UWW 

In the first game of the day, UW-River Falls put up a quick run in the first inning. The solo shot over the left center fence would be the only run the Falcons would score all day but it proved to be enough. Amanda Fischer (Sr.-Wausau, WI/West) opened up the offensive game for the Blugolds in the 3^rd inning with a double. This set up a situation for the Blugolds to threaten to score but a strikeout would end the inning with no runs. After a pitching change in the 6^th, Zana Lorbetske (Jr.-Rhinelander, WI/Three Lakes) struck out three batters and another two in the 7^th but the UW-Eau Claire bats failed to string together hits. They would end the game with a loss to No. 6 UW-River Falls 1-0.

Earlier in the season, the Blugolds swept UW-Whitewater on the Warhawks' home turf but UWW battled back at Gelein to pick up a big win in the first elimination game of the tournament. The Warhawks were the first to score with two runs in 1^st inning off three base hits. They would garner two more runs, one each in the 3^rd and 4^th, before the Blugolds would get their first in the bottom of the 5^th. The UWEC rally started in part from Fischer who singled in the 5^th and would score the lone run of the inning. Leah Wolff (So.-Middleton, WI) would also spark the Blugold offense in the 6^th when her double to left field set up a scoring play. With bases loaded and one out, Taylor Pierce (Sr.-Ashwaubenon, WI) sent a deep fly ball to center. That ball would be caught but Nikki Brooks (Sr.-Hammond, WI/St. Croix Central) would score from third base tying the game 4-4.

But the Warhawks battled back and in the top of the 7^th added two more runs to their lead, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. UW-Whitewater would get the win, ending the Blugolds season.

Fischer led the Blugolds from the box, going 3-for-5. Wolff went 2-for-5 and each added a double.

UW-Eau Claire finishes with a regular season record of 26-16.

-MRW-