LA CROSSE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team has earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WIAC) automatic bid into the NCAA tournament with a 8-7 win over UW-La Crosse in the WIAC Championship (presented by Culver's) on Sunday.
Box Score | WIAC Championship Website
Undefeated in the WIAC tournament, the Blugolds faced the Eagles for the second time in two days and needed just one victory to clinch tournament title and NCAA bid. Eau Claire not only did just that, but accomplished it in dramatic fashion, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off win.
Eau Claire held La Crosse scoreless in the first two innings and got on the board themselves in the bottom of the second. Maria Back (Sr. – Rosemount, MN) reached on an error by the Eagle shortstop and would make her way to third on Madi Zerr's (Jr. – Bristol, WI/Wilmot Union) line drive to center. A Megan Patterson (Fr. – Johnsburg, IL) single to center would score Back and she would score along with Jayden Hodgson (So. – Chippewa Falls, WI/Chi-Hi) – who was running for Zerr – on Shaelyn Talley's (Jr. – Wausau, WI/West) single to right. It was then Megan Maruna's (Jr. – Oswego, IL) turn to get on base, singling to second to plate Talley and give Eau Claire a 4-0 lead after two innings.
La Crosse responded with two runs of their own in the third, taking advantage of a leadoff walk that would score after a sacrifice bunt and single to center. Another hit to the outfield would plate a run before a flyout would end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Sadie Erickson (Jr. – Norwood Young America, MN/Central) would launch one over the center field fence to give Eau Claire a 5-2 advantage.
The Eagles continued to fight, pushing two runs across in the fourth to bring the score to 5-4 and put the Blugolds down in order in the bottom half of the inning.
In the fifth, La Crosse scored two unearned runs to take a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Decker hit an RBI double to tie the game at 6 apiece.
After a scoreless sixth, the seventh would see more scoring from both squads. La Crosse recorded a leadoff single and advanced the runner with a sac bunt. Another single would move her to third and the go-ahead run came in on another single, this time to center field. Lauren Gamme (So. – Eagan, MN) came in to pitch for Eau Claire and got an out with a fielder's choice before striking out the next for the final out.
In the Blugold seventh, Maruna doubled to left with one out. After a Kenna Strunsee (Fr. – Waukesha, WI/South) walk, both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Erickson then walked to load the bases and Decker came up big for Eau Claire once again, this time hitting a single to the shortstop to tie the game at 7. Back was next and put the ball in play, scoring Strunsee to claim the WIAC title.
Maruna tallied three hits in the win for Eau Claire, finishing the day 3-for-4 with double while Decker was 2-for-4 with a double and two big RBIs. Gamme earned the win in the circle to improve to 4-3 on the season.
The Blugolds (26-9) will now wait for the NCAA selection show on Monday at 12 p.m. to find out their opponent and location for the NCAA First Round.
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