Issued: April 12, 2003

SOFTBALL DROPS TWO NAIL BITERS AT CLUSTER TOURNEY

STEVENS POINT - The UW-Eau Claire softball team dropped a pair of one run games at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Cluster Tournament as the Blugolds lost to UW-Platteville 2-1 in eight innings and also fell to UW-Oshkosh 5-4 here today at Zenoff Park.

Eau Claire falls to 9-14 on the season and evens out at 3-3 in WIAC play. Platteville improves to 15-10 overall and 7-0 in WIAC action as they took all three games they played today while Oshkosh improves to 4-13 overall and 2-3 in WIAC play after starting the season with 10 consecutive losses.

The Blugolds tournament opener against the Pioneers turned into a pitching duel between Kim Czapla (Sr-Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) and Alexis Thoms as the pair of pitchers allowed just one hit in the first four and a half innings. The only hit was a single by the Pioneers' Jen Kilian. Platteville finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth when Stacey Yager knocked a lead off double and scored two batters later on an Amy Gill RBI single.

Megan Richardson (So-Wisconsin Rapids/Assumption) notched the Blugolds first hit of the game in the top of the sixth with a one out single but Eau Claire was unable to put together a run. Czapla held the Pioneers hitless in the bottom of the sixth, paving the way for a Blugold rally. With one out in the seventh, Jannah Grinnell (Sr-Delano) reached on a Pioneer error and Beth Steward (Jr-Chippewa Falls/Chi-Hi) followed with a single to put runners on first and second with one out. Rhianna Jacobs (Fr-Austin, MN) came through with a clutch hit for the Blugolds to knock Grinnell in but the Blugolds left two on base in the inning. The Pioneers also stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. Emilee Planert (Jr-Eau Claire/North) doubled in the top of the eighth and advanced to third on a groundout but was unable to cross the plate and give the Blugolds the lead. The Pioneers pounded out a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning, sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt, to give them the 2-1 victory.

Czapla took the tough loss for the Blugolds, pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing seven hits and two earned runs while fanning five and walking just one. Thoms earned the win for Platteville with an eight inning, four hit performance while allowing just one unearned run.

Another pitching duel began the Blugolds second game of the tourney as neither team got on the board in the first three innings. Eau Claire finally broke through in the top of the fourth scoring on an RBI groundout by Jacobs and an Oshkosh error. The Titans responded with two in the bottom of the frame but the Blugolds bounced back in the fifth with a Jannah Grinnell RBI double. Oshkosh again battled back in the bottom of the inning, this time scoring three times. Eau Claire scored once in the top of the sixth to close within one but was unable to score in the seventh to drop its second one run game.

Andrea Neuville (Fr-Green Bay/West) took the loss for the Blugolds as she came in the game in relief for Molly Johnson (Fr-Wisconsin Rapids/Lincoln). Neuville pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed three unearned runs for the loss. Johnson pitched three innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs. Lizz Fernelius got the win for the Titans, going seven innings and allowing two earned runs.

The Blugold resume action tomorrow afternoon at the Cluster Tourney with games against Stevens Point and Whitewater. The contest against the Pointers is set to begin at 3:00 while the Blugolds will battle the Warhawks at 5:00.

Eau Claire vs. Platteville Full Results

Eau Claire vs. Oshkosh Full Results