CLERMONT, Florida (Blugolds.com) – The No. 21 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team picked up two wins on Sunday, defeating No. 5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 6-0 and Franklin College (Ind.) 3-2.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
In game one against MIT, it was a defensive battle until the sixth inning and the Blugolds exploded for five runs. An Engineer error gave UW-Eau Claire their first baserunner while an Abbey Place (So. – Naperville, IL/Central) sacrifice bunt put Haley Robinson (Fr. – Hoffman Estates, IL/St. Viator) into scoring position. A walk followed by another MIT error scored the first run of the game.
A bunt single by Sarah Peka (Jr. – Chanhassen, MN/Minnetonka) added another run while yet another error by the Engineers added a third. A Katie Rongstad (Jr. – Slinger, WI) double capped off the inning, scoring two more runs to give the Blugolds a 5-0 advantage.
In the top of the seventh, Katelyn Yute (So. – North Prairie, WI/Kettle Moraine) singled and later scored on a double by Peka, giving Eau Claire an insurance run. MIT went down in order in the bottom half of the inning as the Blugolds secured their fifth win of the season.
Peka led the offense, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and also earned the complete-game shutout on the mound. The junior struck out 2 while scattering six hits and improves to 4-1 on the year.
In game two against Franklin, Eau Claire jumped to an early lead. In the bottom of the first, Meghan Witt (Fr. – Portage, WI) scored on a sacrifice bunt and in the second, the Blugolds executed a first and third play as Allison Schultz (Sr. – Amery, WI) scored from third while Witt got in a rundown between first and second.
The Grizzlies made it interesting in the sixth, plating two runs to tie the score. But Eau Claire would have an answer in the bottom of the sixth thanks for a sacrifice fly by Yute.
Cheyenne Johnson (Jr. – Poplar, WI/Northwestern) went the distance in the win, recording her first win of the season while striking out 3 and giving up just four hits.
The Blugolds (6-2) will have the day off on Monday before returning to the diamond on Tuesday to take on Miami-Hamilton and St. Olaf College. Keep tabs on the Blugolds on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app' on your mobile device.