WHITEWATER, Wis. (Blugolds.com)- The 2019 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Championship will kick off Friday, May 3rd, with five teams competing for the conference title. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire earned the two seed in the bracket, hoping to win their first WIAC Tournament since the 2006-07 season.
The first game of the tournament will be #4 seed UW-La Crosse versus #5 seed UW-Oshkosh, which will start at 10 AM. At noon, Eau Claire will take on third-seeded UW-Platteville.
The winner of UW-La Crosse/UW-Oshkosh will square off against the top seed and host, UW-Whitewater at 2 PM. The two losers from the earlier games will then meet at 4 PM, for a chance to stay alive in the tournament.
The Blugolds will face an interesting challenge in their opening matchup with UW-Platteville, as the two teams split their series in the regular season. Eau Claire pitched phenomenal in both games, allowing just two total runs over the course of the doubleheader. Cheyenne Johnson (Jr.-Poplar, WI/Northwestern) earned the win in their first meeting and pitched three scoreless innings in game two. The Blugolds will need to have their bats come alive offensively, after they were held to a shutout in that second game against the Pioneers.
Finishing with an 11-3 record in conference play, UW-Whitewater enters the conference tournament as the favorite. They'll also get the advantage of home field, playing at the van Steenderen Softball Complex on their campus. Winners of the last six WIAC Softball Championships, conference opponents will be eager to take down the Warhawks.
The double-elimination tournament will continue through Saturday and Sunday. Games 5-7 will take place Saturday, with first pitch at 10 AM, noon and 2 PM. On Sunday, Game 8 will begin at 10 AM and Game 9 (if necessary) will start at noon. The Championship winner will earn the conference's automatic NCAA bid.
Follow the action all season long or on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app' on your mobile device.
