By: Jake Krier, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - Hits were aplenty for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team on Sunday against UW-Oshkosh; however, the same could be said for the Titans, who outpaced the Blugolds with late scores in both games en route to 5-2 and 8-5 wins at Bollinger Field. Eau Claire out-hit Oshkosh nine to eight in the 5-2 defeat and ten to seven in the 8-5 loss, so timely hitting was the key for the Titans sweep.
In Sunday's opener, three Blugold hitters had multi-hit games, including Katie Rongstad (So.-Slinger, WI), Gretchen Arneson (So.-Chippewa Falls, WI/Chi-Hi), and Sarah Peka (So.-Chanhassen, MN/Minnetonka). Peka finished with a run driven in, as did Tessa Dachel (So.-Chippewa Falls, WI/Chi-Hi).
Peka got the nod to start after back-to-back complete game shutouts. The Titans knocked her around for seven hits and four earned runs to hand the sophomore pitcher the loss. She pitched well through four innings with a 2-0 lead heading into the fifth. In their last three innings, though, Oshkosh went two, two, then one in the run column to first tie it and then take the lead for good.
Game two saw the Titans pull away late once again after the Blugolds knotted the game up at one run apiece in the fifth inning. Oshkosh responded with a run in the sixth and then half a dozen runs in the seventh to go up 8-1. Eau Claire rallied late, scoring four in their last at-bats, but it was too little, too late for the blue and gold.
Arneson and Peka each produced two more hits again in the second game, as did Mikayla McEnery (Fr.-Savage, MN/Prior Lake) from the nine-spot in the order. Dachel finished game two with a 1-for-1 mark and two RBIs. Cheyenne Johnson (So.-Poplar, WI/Northwestern) received the loss inside the circle.
After a stretch of six doubleheaders in the last week, the Blugolds will get a day off on Monday before returning to the field on Tuesday when they travel to UW-River Falls. The regular season finale is set to begin at 2:00 p.m.
Follow the action all season long on Blugold Game Day.
