EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team was back at home on Thursday as they finished out their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular season schedule with a doubleheader against the UW-La Crosse Eagles. Despite dropping game one, The Blugolds earned their berth into the WIAC Tournament with a 4-2 victory in game two over UWL.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
The first game of the doubleheader was a defensive battle from the beginning after an opening tally in the top of the first on a UW-La Crosse home run. Madi Zerr (Sr. – Bristol, Wis./Wilmot Union) kept the Eagles scoreless for four straight innings, as UW-Eau Claire fought to erase the one run deficit. Zerr finished the day with six innings pitched, allowing five hits, striking out five, and allowing only two runs with 24 batters faced. UWL added to their lead in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to push the UWEC deficit to two runs before dealing Eau Claire their 17th defeat of the season, 2-0.
The Blugolds came out with some revenge in game two as Megan Maruna (Sr.- Oswego, Ill.) and Madi Zerr hit back-to-back RBI singles to take an early 2-0 lead. The Eagles responded in the third with an RBI single of their own, but Madi Zerr kept her consistent day at the plate rolling with her second RBI single of the day in the bottom of the third to regain the two run Blugold lead. Zerr finished the game with two hits on three at bats and two RBIs from the fifth spot.
The Blugolds and Eagles traded runs again in the fifth as Megan Maruna crossed home on a Hailey Hagedorn (Fr. – Farmington, Minn.) ground out to extend the lead to 4-2. Hagedorn's play at the plate was complemented with three innings from the pitcher's stripe as she struck out two and allowed only a single hit to earn her first collegiate save.
Jacie Schultz (So. – Lake Crystal, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) earned the win in the second game as UWEC defeated UWL, 4-2. Schultz improves to 8-5 on the season with her four innings pitched. Megan Maruna led the Blugold offense from the plate during both games as she went 4-for-6 with two singles, one double, one triple, and one RBI to help UW-Eau Claire earn their spot in the WIAC Tournament.
The Blugolds (17-17, WIAC 6-8) will wrap up their regular season schedule on Sunday, May 7th as they host the College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) for a nonconference doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 1PM at Bollinger Fields.
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