ANGOLA, Ind. (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team were back on the ball field on Saturday as they looked to continue their NCAA postseason run during the regional round. After storms delayed their quarterfinal game to be pushed back to the evening of Friday, UW-Eau Claire faced off with the North Central College (IL) Cardinals in the semifinals with a chance to face the hosts, Trine University, in the regional championship. As both sides played lock down defense and stranded runners across the bases in the opening four innings, the Cardinals found the only runs of the game in the fifth inning to end Eau Claire's season in a 3-0 Blugold defeat.
As a first year Blugold, Jacie Schultz (Fr. – Lake Crystal, MN/Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) made her NCAA postseason debut in the semifinal contest and showed no signs apprehension. Schultz and the UWEC defense held strong in the first innings of the game by retiring 12 of the 16 batters they faced through four innings of play. The Blugolds stranded six of the eight total Cardinal runners on base in the first four frames as Schultz collected two strikeouts and walked only a single batter.
Megan Maruna (Jr. – Oswego, IL) started the game with a lead off double with hopes to spark the Blugold offense to compliment their defensive efforts. The flicker of fortune dwindled as the Cardinal pitcher stood strong keeping the Blugolds to just five hits through the fourth and stranded four Blugolds on the bases.
The fifth inning found both sides with a chance to capitalize on offense as Chloe Garofalo (Fr. – Kenosha, WI/Bradford) singled up the middle and advanced to second on a Megan Maruna single. Kenna Strunsee (Fr. – Waukesha, WI/South) stayed patient during the next at bat and took four balls to load the bases for Eau Claire. UWEC's chance was whisked away as the inning ended with two fly outs by the next Blugold batters.
North Central answered with offense of their own in the bottom of the fifth with two RBI singles and an RBI double to gain the game's first lead, 3-0. With their backs against the wall, UW-Eau Claire found only one hit in the final two innings on a single from Haley Lamberson (Jr. – Silver Lake, WI/Wilmont Union) in the top of the sixth. Lamberson's lone hit of the day was not enough as the remaining Blugolds were retired in the sixth and seventh for a 3-0 defeat.
The leader at the plate for Eau Claire was Megan Maruna who recorded two hits in her four at bats, and on the bases Maria Back (Sr. – Rosemount, MN) tallied the lone stolen base for UWEC. From the pitching circle, Jacie Schultz finishes the season with an 11-3 record and Madi Zerr (Jr. – Bristol, WI/Wilmont Union) pitched one and one third innings of relief allowing only two hits, zero runs, and one strikeout.
Haley Lamberson and Madi Zerr were both named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team with their performances during the weekend matchups. Lamberson recorded five hits, one double, one RBI, and two stolen bases in her four at bats during tournament play. Zerr went 1-1 on the weekend from the stripe with 12 innings pitched and allowing only one run on six hits.
The Blugolds finish their season with a 27-11 record and a 9-5 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record. UW-Eau Claire captured their seventh WIAC Tournament title in team history one week ago to clinch their 13th appearance in the NCAA postseason. Their all-time NCAA tournament record now stands at 38-24.
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