UW-Whitewater wrapped up a weekend road trip falling twice to UW-Eau Claire on Sunday. UW-W lost the first game 5-4 in eight innings and came up short in the second game 5-2. The Warhawks are now 18-10 overall and 6-4 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while Eau Claire improves to 15-15 and 7-1 in the WIAC.
Game one box score
Game two box score
Eau Claire scored the first run of the game and the last run of the game to take down the Warhawks in game one. The scoring got started with the Blugolds scoring one in the bottom of the first and two in the bottom of the third to open a 3-0 lead.
The Warhawks took control in the top of the fourth scoring four runs; the first two off of a Kate McDonnell (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) homer to left. The third run came from an Alli Driscoll (Beloit/F.J. Turner) single that scored Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo). The final run was scored on a Courtney Baldwin (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) single to center.
Eau Claire evened the score at four with a run in the bottom of the fourth and then both teams' bats went silent. The Warhawks did threaten in the top of the eighth after the first three batters loaded the bases, but Eau Claire got a force at home for out one, struckout the next better for out two, and popped up the final batter to escape the inning unscathed.
A leadoff single for Eau Claire in the bottom of nine got things going for the 'Golds. They advanced the runner to second on a sacrifice hit and two batters later a single scored the game winning run.
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) pitched the entire game for the 'Hawks giving up eight hits while striking out six.
The Warhawks struck first in the second game scoring two runs in the top of the third on an Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) single to right center.
Eau Claire got those runs back, plus one, in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up by the final score of 5-2.
The 'Hawks collected nine hits in the game with Baldwin and Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) recording two apiece.
UW-W will look for redemption on April 22 in a doubleheader against the University of Dubuque in Whitewater beginning at 3:00 pm.
For additional information, Brenda Volk
