Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a doubleheader sweep at 15th-ranked UW-Eau Claire Friday at Bollinger Field. The Eagles earned a 1-0 win in the opener and 5-4 in the nightcap to improve to 22-10 overall and 6-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The Blugolds drop to 19-9 overall and 2-6 in the conference.
It marks UWL's second straight WIAC sweep of a nationally-ranked opponent. The Eagles swept then 21st-ranked UW-Oshkosh April 17 by the scores of 5-0 and 4-1.
Jessie Carignan (9-2) earned her second consecutive complete-game shutout in Friday's opener. She went 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Carignan earned the complete-game win in UWL's 5-0 victory over UW-Oshkosh April 17, going 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and five walks while striking out three. Carignan is fifth in career wins (35) at UWL.
Stephanie Cole drove in the winning run in Friday's first game.
UWL scored the only run in Friday's opener in the top of the first.
Brittany Baldwin walked with one out and stole second and then scored on
Stephanie Cole's RBI double. Baldwin finished with two stolen bases in the game to tie
Jenna Ahnen's (2008-11) school record for career steals of 55.
The Eagles were held to three hits while the Blugolds totaled four. UW-Eau Claire only had one base runner reach base, coming in the bottom of the fifth when the Blugolds left the bases-loaded. Lauren Blasczyk took the loss for UW-Eau Claire. She pitched 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and two walks while striking out three.
In the nightcap, UW-Eau Claire took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third on Brooke Varian's three-run home run. UWL responded in the the top of fourth with five unearned runs.
Sarah Mueller's single scored Cole with
Ashley Lindstrom also scoring on the play on a UW-Eau Claire error.
Kathryn Vander Schaaf's single scored
Grace Mindrup with the tying run.
Brooke Baldwin then scored on
Jenny Gallagher's sacrifice bunt to give UWL a 4-3 lead and
Sydney Murphy's RBI single knocked in Vander Schaaf with the fifth run of the inning.
The Blugolds cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth on Carlie Christensen's sacrifice bunt. UW-Eau Claire was retired in order in the sixth and seventh innings.
Katie Klein (6-4) earned the win for UWL, pitching 4.0 innings in relief. She allowed one hit, one run and one walk with three strikeouts.
Caitlyn Hughes started for the Eagles, going 3.0 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and three walks with one strikeout. UWL totaled six hits with Lindstrom finishing 2-for-4.
Sarah Peka took the loss for UW-Eau Claire, going 3.0 innings, allowing four hits and four unearned runs. The Blugolds finished with seven hits as Rachel Heffel went 2-for-4.
UWL returns to action Saturday, April 22 hosting UW-Stout at 2 p.m.
