University of St. Thomas Athletics
UW-Eau Claire
Softball splits with Eau Claire; record win streak ends
3/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wisconsin-Eau Claire scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take an 8-7 victory over St. Thomas Saturday at the Rosemount Dome and end the Tommies' Division III record 43-game softball winning streak.
St. Thomas won game two 4-2 to move to 3-1 on the season.
Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, the Blugolds loaded the bases with three walks and got a grand slam from freshman Jill Jahnke for a 4-3 lead. The Tommies took a 7-4 lead into the last at bat as it held Eau Claire to two hits through the first six innings. But three singles and an error at home plate cut the score to 7-5 with none out. Mallory McKinney's two-run single tied the game. Jahnke grounded out to the pitcher but the winning run scored from third base ahead of the relay throw.
Kristi Huegel went 2-for-3 with a solo homer in game one. Freshman Maria Bye took the pitching loss as she struck out eight and walked five but gave up five hits and six earned runs.
In game two, UST junior Mandy Evans hit her first varsity home run in the second inning, a three-run blast to left, to break a 1-1 tie. Katie Wiberg walked and Carrie Embree singled to precede Evans' homer. EC's Andrea Neuville reired 13 of the last 14 batters she faced but took the loss.
UST sophomore Emily Waage got the complete-game win in game two as she allowed two runs, four hits and one walk and struck out four.
The Tommies, ranked first in the NFCA Division III preseason poll, played their first four games this weekend without junior All-American pitcher-1B Janet Nagle who had a family commitment Friday and Saturday. Nagle will return from Sunday's twinbill vs. St. Scholastica. Those games have been moved back from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Game 1
St. Thomas------210 220 0--7 7 1UW-Eau Claire-004 000 4--8 6 2
Game 2
UW-Eau Claire---010 000 1--2 4 1St. Thomas------130 000 x--3 3 1
