STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team opened conference play on Saturday, defeating UW-Stevens Point 9-6 (8 inn.) in game one and tied 6-6 (9 inn.) in game two.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 1 Box Score
In the first game, the Blugolds tallied a run in the second and in the third, Meghan Witt (Fr. – Portage, WI) hit a two-run homer to left field to put Eau Claire up 3-0.
In the fourth inning, the Blugolds put together four hits, including an RBI double by Maria Back (Fr. – Rosemount, MN), to increase the lead to 5-0. The Pointers would get on the board in the bottom of the fifth but Eau Claire would score their sixth run in the top of the sixth thanks to a Katie Rongstad (Jr. – Slinger, WI) sacrifice fly.
Stevens Point would rally for three runs in the sixth and two in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Witt belted her second two-run bomb of the game to give Eau Claire the lead once again. The Blugolds added another insurance run after Abbey Place (So. – Naperville, IL/Central) scored on a wild pitch. Cheyenne Johnson (Jr. – Poplar, WI/Northwestern) retired the Pointers in order in the bottom half of the inning to secure Eau Claire's first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) win.
Game two was another extra-inning affair, but this time would not have a winner as the game was called in the ninth due to darkness.
Stevens Point jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, but the Blugolds responded with three runs in the second and third innings to take a 6-4 advantage heading into the seventh. However, the Pointers would again produce runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings yet again.
Neither team could score in the eighth or ninth inning and without lights at McCarty Field, the game would be called due to darkness.
On the day, Witt and Place led the Blugold offense, with Witt going 5-for-9 with two homeruns, a double and four RBIs while Place was 6-for-9 with two doubles.
The Blugolds will continue WIAC play on Wednesday as they host UW-River Falls and will host Northwestern (St. Paul) on Thursday in non-conference action. Follow the Blugolds on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app' on your mobile device.