CLERMONT, Florida (Blugolds.com) – The No. 21 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team started their spring break campaign on Saturday, falling to No. 3 University of St. Thomas (Minn.) and Tufts University (Mass.).
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
In their first game since March 3rd, the Blugolds jumped to an early lead over the Tommies. Brooke Varian (Sr. – Madison, WI/West) got things rolling with a leadoff single and Katelyn Yute (So. – North Prairie, WI/Kettle Moraine) followed with a double. Both would score on a single by Abbey Place (So. – Naperville, IL/Central).
St. Thomas would tie it up on the third, scoring on a Blugold error and a single. In the top of the sixth, a St. Thomas error would allow the Blugolds to plate the go-ahead run.
But in the bottom of the seventh, UST tallied three singles to load the bases. Following a strikeout, another Eau Claire error would score two runs to complete the come-from-behind win for the Tommies.
St. Thomas out-hit Eau Claire 7-4 but the three Blugold errors accounted for three Tommie runs.
In game two against Tufts, the Blugolds again scored first, tallying a run in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an RBI-single by Meghan Witt (Fr. – Portage, WI). But the Jumbos would respond with three runs in both the second and third innings to take the lead.
Witt would knock in another run in the third and Cheyenne Johnson (Jr. – Poplar, WI/Northwestern) singled in the fifth to score a third Eau Claire run, but Tufts would tally runs of their own in the four and sixth to seal the 8-3 victory.
Witt finished the game 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Eau Claire at the plate while Place went 2-3 against Tufts and 1-for-2 with two RBIs against UST to finish the day 3-for-5.
Sarah Peka (Jr. – Chanhassen, MN/Minnetonka) took the loss against St. Thomas, giving up 7 hits in 6.1 innings with 2 strikeouts while Stephanie Wilczynski (Jr. – Naperville, IL/ Waubonsie Valley) took the loss in game two, striking out 2 and allowing 7 hits in 3.0 innings.
The Blugolds (4-2) will face No. 5 MIT and Franklin on Sunday afternoon. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app' on your mobile device.
