UW-Whitewater, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion and the number four team in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll, was upset 12-4 by eighth-seeded UW-Superior in the first round of the WIAC Tournament in Superior Friday afternoon. UW-W will play UW-Eau Claire in a second round game at 2:45 Friday. Using a double elimination format, the loser of the Whitewater-Eau Claire game will be eliminated, with the winner advancing to play Saturday at 11:00.
Superior game box score
Superior scored all the runs it would need, six, in the top of the first inning. Senior Brooke Bailey's three run homer was the biggest of five hits in the inning. Whitewater came back with two runs in their half of the first, with the first run coming in on a illegal pitch and the second on an Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) single. Superior increased its lead to 9-2 with three more in the second, two off a home run by Ashley Martin home run. Bailey drove in two more with a single in the third to up the Yellowjackets lead to 11-2. Suzanne Gersich (Wadsworth, IL/Warren) sixth home run of the season, adding to her WIAC records of 41 career home runs and 164 runs batted in, made it 11-3 after three. UW-S added an unearned run in the fourth and LeBeau drove in another run for UW-W in the fifth to end the scoring. The game ended on the run differential rule after five innings.
LeBeau went 3x3 to lead the Warhawk offense. Kalli Kucharyski went 4x4 and scored three runs for Superior. Kucharyski was also the winning pitcher, going the distance to even her record at 10-10. The Warhawks used three pitchers.
UW-W, which went 16-0 in winning the WIAC regular season, defeated UW-Superior 3-2 and 6-0 April 18 in Whitewater.
UW-Whitewater is 34-4. Superior is 13-18.
UW-Eau Claire, the number four seed, also lost in the first round. Whitewater and Eau Claire played in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship game last year.
For additional information: Brenda Volk, UW-W coach
