University of St. Thomas Athletics
UW-Eau Claire
Softball takes two close wins vs. No. 16-rated Blugolds
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
No. 1-ranked St. Thomas (4-0) pounded 20 hits on the day and got a win and a save from senior All-American pitcher Janet Nagle to hold off No. 16-ranked UW-Eau Claire, 3-2 and 5-3, in non-conference softball play Saturday evening at the Rosemount Dome.
Nagle allowed two runs, five hits and no walks with 13 strikeouts in the opener. The Tommies used senior Nikki Conway's two-run, line drive homer in the third inning -- the 33rd on her career -- to take a 2-0 lead. Senior Mandy Evans doubled and scored on two ground outs in the fourth inning to make it 3-0.
The Blugolds cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning as soph Casey Leisgang doubled and junior pitcher Mallory McKinney homered to right center. But Nagle retired the last six batters, four with strikeouts.
McKinney worked six innings and allowed three runs, six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
In game two, UST rapped 14 hits and got six solid innings from sophomore pitcher Maria Bye, who worked out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings. Bye allowed three runs and seven hits but had no walks and struck out eight.
After Carrie Embree stroked an RBI single to make it 3-2, Bye helped her cause with a two-run homer in the third inning.
Embree, Bye, Fiona Lodge and Colleen Owen all had two hits for UST, and Nagle and Conway each went 1-for-3.
Eau Claire stranded 11 runners, including six in the last three innings. Nagle pitched the seventh inning and allowed two infield hits but got a game-ending strikeout. Embree's diving stop up the middle got a key force out at second base.
Freshman pitcher Bri Sturm allowed no runs and five hits in five innings of relief. Junior Shannon Barone went 3-for-4 and Leisgang and McKinney each had two hits for Eau Claire (33-11 last season). Leisgang's first-inning solo homer cut the deficit to 2-1.
St. Thomas finishes the weekend with a 10 a.m. Sunday doubleheader vs. Buena Vista (2-2), which swept St. Olaf Saturday.
Game One
UW-Eau Claire-----000 002 0 -- 2 5 0St. Thomas--------002 100 x -- 3 6 0
McKinney and Lemon; Nagle and Conway.
HR: UST, Conway; UWEC, McKinney Game TwoSt. Thomas-------203 000 0 -- 5 14 3
UW-Eau Claire----110 010 0 -- 3 9 0 Bye, Nagle (7) and Conway; Neuville, Sturm (3) and Lemon.HR: UST, Bye; UWEC, Leisgang
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