University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Athletics

Issued: April 30, 2003

SOFTBALL BATTLES STOUT IN FIRST ROUND OF WIAC TOURNEY

PLATTEVILLE - The fourth-seeded UW-Eau Claire softball team is set for the WIAC 2003 Softball Championships where they will face fifth-seeded UW-Stout Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the UW-Platteville Softball Complex.

The Blugolds currently hold a 14-20 overall and 8-8 in WIAC action. Stout comes in with a 17-18 overall record and a 7-9 conference record.

Holding down the No. 1 seed in the tournament is UW-Platteville who will earn a first round bye with a conference record of 12-4. Second-seeded UW-La Crosse comes in with a record of 11-5 in conference and will face seventh-seeded UW-Whitewater who holds a WIAC record of 6-10. With a record of 10-6, UW-River Falls owns the three seed and will face sixth-seeded UW-Stevens Point with a record of 7-9. The eight and nine seeds, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Superior, will face each other to advance to face first-seeded Platteville.

The Blugolds faced Stout in a doubleheader on April 23 when they were swept by the Blue Devils in a pair of very close games. In a 5-4 loss to Stout, Beth Steward (Jr.-Chippewa Falls/Chi-Hi) had a two-run home run and an RBI double while Emilee Planert (Jr.-Eau Claire/North) hit a solo home run. In the second game of the double dip, Stout pitcher Megan Donley was on her game as she shut out the Blugolds, allowing seven hits while walking nobody and fanning three.

Eau Claire will look to Planert and Steward, along with Jannah Grinnell (Sr.-Delano, MN) for some offense as all three currently hold batting averages over .300. Planert is currently hitting .427 in 24 games with 10 RBI and 15 runs scored. Steward has had a phenomenal season, hitting .351 while pounding out five home runs and 24 RBI in 32 games played. Grinnell also has totaled 24 RBI, hitting .322 with eight home runs and an incredible 28 runs scored.

Andrea Neuville (Fr.-Green Bay/West) comes into the tournament with a team-best 2.70 ERA while going 5-6 on the season. Kim Czapla (Sr.-Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) has been the Blugolds main pitcher as she has totaled more than 120 innings pitched with an ERA of just over four. The senior Blugolds has thrown 14 complete games with a record of 7-11.

The winner of the Blugolds game against Stout will move on to face the winner of the Platteville game while the losers of each of those games will also match up.