The UW-Whitewater softball team fell to UW-Eau Claire 5-2 and 2-0 in a pair of games at van Steenderen Field Sunday afternoon. The Warhawks, ranked eleventh according to the NTCA, are now 19-5 and 8-2 in the WIAC.
 
UW-Eau Claire opened the scoring in the top of the first frame. A leadoff walk followed by a stolen base, a groundout and a sacrifice bunt brought in the first run of the game.
 
A double to right center and single down the left field line led to another run for the Blugolds in the top of the third.
 
Senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson)'s hot bat gave the Warhawks a boost with a rocket that went up and out on a line to right field for her fifth four-bagger in five games. Her round-tripper cut the Blugold lead in half, 2-1.
 
A defensive battled ensued with the pitchers for both teams not allowing a runner past second base until a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth by the Blugolds allowed Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) to advance to third. Jablonski, who had reached on a fielder's choice took advantage of the miscue on a groundball from Sporer to put runners on the corners with two outs. UW-EC was able to get out of the inning with a groundout to maintain the lead.
 
UW-EC moved a runner to third in the top of the seventh via two sacrifices. A long fly ball to right field looked to be over the head of DuCharme but the senior changed directions and tracked the ball with the wind to make a fantastic over-the-shoulder grab near the warning track to bring the Warhawks back to the plate.
 
Junior Maggie Hansen (Algonquin, IL/Jacobs) led off the bottom of the seventh taking the sixth pitch of her at bat off the arm and heading to first. Junior Courtney Smith (St. Charles, IL/North) replaced Hansen at first. On a 3-1 count, senior Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) showed bunt and pulled back on a ball for the five-pitch walk to put two runners on. Sophomore Jessica Kaemerer (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West) took over for Evangelista on first base.
 
With one out, Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) put the ball in play and a Blugold miscue loaded the bases for the top of the Warhawk lineup. A long fly ball from Klotz into right field gave Smith ample time to tag from third and extend the game with a tie score 2-2 after seven innings.
 
UW-EC led off the top of the eighth with a flare into left field for a single. The Blugolds sacrificed the runner into scoring position with one out and a groundball handled by Jablonski at short made it two outs with a runner on third.  Senior righthander Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) got out of the inning with a fly ball to center.
 
Jablonski sent the fifth pitch of her at bat into the gap in right center for a single to lead off the bottom of the inning for UW-Whitewater. Cara Smoczynki put her helmet on and took over for Jablonski running at first base. Sophomore Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) notched a groundball to shortstop for the fielder's choice but an error on the throw went into the Blugolds' dugout allowing Ricci to advance to second but UW-EC got out of the inning to send it into the ninth.
 
Eau Claire put their leadoff batter on with a walk and sacrificed her to second. With one out, a bloop hit landed perfectly in between the infield and outfield to put runners on the corners. UW-Whitewater opted to let the runner at first advance to second safely in order to hold the runner at third.  A single through the right side scored one and the batter moved to second on the throw home. A sacrifice fly to deep right center field plated one more to give UW-EC a 4-2 lead. A Warhawk miscue allowed another Blugold to score extending the lead to 5-2 and put a runner on first. A pop out in the next at bat ended the inning with Evangelista headed to the plate for UW-Whitewater trailing 5-2.
 
Evangelista sent the ball sailing into the left center for a single to lead off the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Taylor put the ball in play toward second base and the flip to the shortstop covering second was mishandled allowing both Warhawks to be safe on the base paths. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position but the Blugolds ended the game on a pop out.
 
The Warhawks registered just three hits in the game led by DuCharme's long ball. Houda scattered seven hits across nine innings to move to 9-3 this season. 

Game Two Recap
The Warhawks threatened early in game two. With one out, DuCharme and Jablonski notched back-to-back singles. A groundball in the next at bat was bobbled by the shortstop allowing UW-Whitewater runners to be safe all around and load the bases.
 
The Blugolds went home on a groundball in the next at bat just getting the speedy DuCharme sliding into the plate on the force. Hansen's long fly ball had the crowd ready to cheer but the wind held the ball up and allowed the UW-EC centerfielder to get underneath it at the warning track.
 
With one out in the top of the second, the Blugolds' Rachel Heffel hit a long fly ball into right center. DuCharme went back hard and just got her glove on the ball to tip it up in the air. She reached out her bare hand and nearly made the spectacular catch heading towards the fence but the ball fell in for a triple. A groundout in the next at bat plated the run and gave UW-EC the 1-0 lead.
 
The teams combined for just one hit after the triple in the top of the second until the bottom of the sixth when DuCharme hit a laser into left center that one-hopped the fence for a leadoff double.
 
Jablonski went up the middle in the next at bat to move DuCharme to third as the pitcher knocked down the hard grounder and went to first for the first out of the inning. The Blugolds stranded DuCharme at third with the next two outs to hold the one-run advantage.
 
Sporer held UW-EC hitless from the triple in the top of the second until the top of the seventh when a one-out RBI double added one to the Blugolds' tally. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, a hit batter and walk loaded the bases for Eau Claire. A slow liner hit the infield and spun in place but Jablonski charged and flipped to the outstretched glove of Taylor at third to get out of the jam.
 
Freshman Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) kept the Warhawks alive with a two-out, full-count rocket to left center for a single but the Eau Claire defense held on for the win.
 
Sporer went the distance allowing five hits in seven innings of work to move to 8-2 this season.
 
DuCharme and Jablonski each went 2-for-3 from the plate. Swanson registered the Warhawks' lone other hit in the game.
 
UW-Whitewater will head to Oshkosh to take on the Titans for a doubleheader Wednesday beginning at 3 p.m.