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Issued: April 21, 2008

SOFTBALL SPLITS CLOSE PAIR OF GAMES WITH EAGLES

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The UW-Eau Claire softball team fell in Game One today during extra innings due to a UW-La Crosse comeback, but rebounded to grab the second game.

The first game saw the 13th-ranked Blugolds go up 3-0 in the first before La Crosse came back and won 4-3 in the eighth. The Blugold pitching shut out the Eagles in Game Two as Eau Claire took a 2-0 blanking.

The team put together three hits to stake starter Jenny Ross (Fr.-Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning of the day. Jill Janke (Sr.-Black River Falls, Wis.) singled in Casey Leisgang (Sr.-Seymour, Wis.) for the first run. A Michelle Butkus (Sr.-Medford, Wis.) double and a Kristi Doucette (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon) sac fly scored Janke and Butkus respectively.

It would be the last real scoring threat Eau Claire had, as La Crosse’s starter Jess Iwanski settled in. The Blugolds collected just three more hits the rest of the game.

The Eagles tallied single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to tie it up before the game hit seven innings. The Eagles walked off with the win in the eighth after loading the bases with three consecutive singles. A sac fly brought in the winning run and broke a six-game winning streak Eau Claire had over La Crosse.

Bri Sturm (Jr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) pitched the final three and a third innings while taking the loss. Butkus and Ross each went 2 for 4 with Butkus collecting a run and a RBI each. La Crosse outhit Eau Claire 9-to-6.

The Blugolds would outhit the Eagles in Game Two 8-to-4 as Ross went all seven to notch the win. She walked none and struck out five.

Ross also scored the first run of the game in the second inning. She led off with a single and moved up on a sac bunt. A fielding error by the left fielder during Betsy Kettinger’s (Jr.-Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) single allowed Ross to come around.

Butkus led off the sixth with a single and came in during a Doucette double to provide another run. Doucette had a 2-for-3 game while knocking in the run.

Eau Claire is now 21-7 and 6-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). La Crosse has marks of 19-12 and 5-5.

The Blugolds have away games Tuesday and Wednesday versus UW-Superior and No. 10 UW-River Falls respectively.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

- PH -

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