CLERMONT, Florida (Blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team was back in action Friday as the Blugolds started their first spring break trip since 2019. In their opening games of the trip against two teams from New York, UW-Eau Claire fell to Hamilton College 6-5 in extra innings but bounced back with a 8-0 (5 innings) win over Clarkson University.
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
In game one against the Hamilton Continentals, the Blugolds got on the board in the top of the second with a two-run Megan Maruna (Jr. – Oswego, IL) homerun to right field. Hamilton would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second to keep the score tied.
In the fourth, Eau Claire would notch three runs on three hits to take a 5-3 lead. The rally was started with another Blugold longball, this time coming from Sadie Erickson (Jr. – Norwood Young America, MN/Central) who homered to centerfield. Maria Back (Sr. – Rosemount, MN) followed with a single to left and would move herself into scoring position with a steal. Back would score on a Haley Lamberson (Jr. – Silver Lake, WI/Wilmot Union) single to right field and she would advance to second on the throw. During the next at-bat, Lamberson stole third and would score on an error by the shortstop to plate the fifth Eau Claire run.
The Blugolds held the Continentals scoreless in the bottom of the fourth but would surrender three runs in the fifth after giving up two doubles and a homerun to tie the game at five apiece.
The game would remain locked after the seventh, forcing the international tiebreaker in the eighth and Eau Claire was unable to push a run across in the top half of the inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Hamilton would move their runner to third on a groundout. Eau Claire then put the next two hitters on via intentional walks to load the bases looking to get a force-out, but it would backfire as the Continentals would draw another free pass for the walk-off win.
In game two against the Clarkson Golden Knights, Eau Claire again was the first to get on the board.
In the second, Back singled up the middle and then stole second. A groundout moved her to third and she would score on another groundball to second.
The Blugolds would tack on three more runs in the fourth. Erickson led off with a single through the left side and would move her way around the diamond by stealing second and third. A bunt single by Alli Schoenrock (Fr. – Blaine, MN) scored Erickson and Schoenrock would later score on a Salena Jeanson (So – St. Paul, MN/North) sacrifice fly to left field. After reaching base on an error, Lamberson scored on Chloe Garofalo's (Fr. – Kenosha, WI/Bradford) single up the middle to give Eau Claire a 4-0 advantage.
Eau Claire's offensive would rally for four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by Jeanson's walk-off double to center.
Jacie Schultz (Fr. – Lake Crystal, MN/Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) picked up the win in the circle, tossing a one-hitter in the first start of her Blugold career. The newcomer struck out four and issued just one free pass in five innings of work to complete the shutout.
Leading the Blugold offense on day one was Erickson who was 3-for-7 on the day with a homerun and three steals.
Eau Claire (4-2) will be back in action Saturday as they face Knox College (IL) and Southern Maine.
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