The Warhawks huddle around the pitching mound
Michael McLoone
6
Winner Wis.-Whitewater UWWSB 33-7
4
Wis.-Eau Claire UWEC 26-16
Winner
Wis.-Whitewater UWWSB
33-7
6
Final
4
Wis.-Eau Claire UWEC
26-16
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Wis.-Whitewater UWWSB 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 6 11 1
Wis.-Eau Claire UWEC 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 4 8 2

W: Houda, Bekka (0-0) L: Zana Lorbetske (0-0)

Game Recap: Softball |

Warhawks Top Blugolds in 6-4 Thriller to Advance in WIAC Championship

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The UW-Whitewater softball team won a thriller over top-seeded UW-Eau Claire 6-4 to advance in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament. The Blugolds are eliminated from the championship as the Warhawks move on to Saturday to face a team yet to be determined at 2 p.m. 

UW-Whitewater, the designated visiting team, put the pressure on right away with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson) singled up the middle. Fellow senior Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) followed with a hard shot to third base for a single to put two runners on and a  Blugold miscue in the next at bat plated the first run of the game. The second Warhawk touched home shortly after on a Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) base shot to right center. 

Sporer, UW-Whitewater's starter in the circle for the second game Friday, shut down the UW-EC offense not allowing a hit the first two innings. 

In the third, DuCharme took a pitch in the ribs but shook it off on the jog down to first to put the first runner on. Sophomore Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) and Sporer drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and force a pitching change for the Blugolds. Freshman Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) reached on a fielder's choice and an error for Eau Claire had all Warhawks safe as DuCharme slid safely into home. 

UW-Whitewater added another to their total in the top of the fourth after sophomore Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) led off the inning with a single to center field. Freshman Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) sacrificed Taylor to second and she moved to third on a passed ball. DuCharme tagged a long fly ball to center to give Taylor enough time to tag up at third and score on the sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. 

The Blugolds slowly worked their way back into the game with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. UW-EC used a one-out single followed by a double to plate their first run of the game. 

In the bottom of the sixth, EC opened with a double and combined a few singles with small ball and a Warhawk miscue to plate three runs and knot the game at 4-4 heading into the final inning. UW-Whitewater switched hurlers part way through the inning as senior right-hander Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) returned to the circle for the final two outs.

Sporer led off the top of the seventh with a rocket through the left side. With one out, senior Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) connected on a laser to left field that quickly got over the outfielder's head and to the wall for a double to put runners on second and third for UW-Whitewater. Senior Caitlin Snyder (Burlington/Catholic Central) notched a long fly ball to center for another Warhawk sacrifice fly to give the Warhawks a 5-4 lead. 

Taylor returned to the plate and after falling behind in the count 1-2, fouled off three straight rise balls. She watched another ball in the dirt, fouled off another pitch and watched the third ball sail by to load the bases. On the tenth pitch of the at bat, a rise ball got away from the Blugold pitcher and went off the catchers mitt to the backstop. Taylor took off for first on the base on balls and Evangelista took off for home. The senior slid in safely under the tag to give the Warhawks a two-run cushion. 

Houda retired the first batter via strikeout. UW-EC singled to right center to put the pressure on the UW-Whitewater defense but the Warhawks were up to the test. A hard grounder to second was stopped by a diving Swanson who flipped the ball to Jablonski covering second base for the force out and second out of the inning. Houda registered the final out of the game on her own catching the Blugold hitter with a rise ball for strike three and the win. 

Sporer and Taylor were perfect in the batter's box going 3-for-3 and combining for an RBI and two runs scored. 

Houda came in for the final 1.2 innings of relief to pick up the win, her 16th of the season striking out three and allowing just one hit. 

UW-Whitewater's opponent at 2 p.m. Saturday will be determined by the first two games of the day. UW-River Falls will face UW-La Crosse at 10 a.m. and UW-Oshkosh takes on UW-Stout at noon. 

 
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