University of St. Thomas Athletics
UW-Eau Claire
Utecht HR lets Toms split in softball
4/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Gina Utecht's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning rallied No. 22 St. Thomas (14-6) to a 5-4 victory over No. 11 Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a split of their non-conference doubleheader Sunday in St. Paul.
The Blugolds (11-7) won game one 1-0 behind Kim Czapla's five-hit shutout.
The Tommies broke to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game two. But Eau Claire rallied, and Dinah Martin's sixth-inning solo homer tied it 3-3. The Blugolds went ahead 4-3 in the top of the seventh on a single by Danyell Smith, a sacrifice bunt and Becky Bourne's RBI single that caromed off second base.
Blugold starting pitcher Jessie Sharpe, who allowed four hits in six innings, was relieved by Czapla to start the bottom of the seventh. Czapla walked Casey Curson, retired the second batter on a pop-up, but on a 3-2 pitch surrendured Utecht's game-winning home run to left-center field. The pitching victory went to Stacy Tamble, who allowed nine hits and one walk while fanning four in the complete-game win.
In game one, Sarah Grudnowski was 3-for-3 for the Toms. The Blugolds scored the game's only run in the top of the fifth as Brenda Westermann walked, pinch-runner Emilee Planert was sacrificed to second and scored on pinch-hitter Leah Schlegemilch's RBI single.
UST threatened in the sixth with one-out singles by Avery Heidenreich and Grudnowski. But After a fly out, Blugold centerfielder Megan Grinnell made a running catch on Shannon Moore's fly, knocked over the temporary fence but held on to the ball to end the inning.
The Toms are scheduled to play four doubleheaders in the coming week -- Tuesday at Macalester, Wednesday at UW-River Falls, Thursday at Carleton and Saturday at Hamline.
Game One
UW-Eau Claire.....000 010 0---1-4-0St. Thomas........000 000 0---0-5-1
Czapla and Smith; Curson and Utecht. WP-Czapla. LP-Curson. Game TwoUW-Eau Claire.....002 001 1---4-9-1
St. Thomas........300 000 2---5-5-1Sharpe, Czapla (7) and Smith; Tamble and Utecht. WP-Tamble. LP-Czapla.
