Oshkosh, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a 5-0 win over 14th-ranked UW-Oshkosh Friday afternoon at the Mary Beth Nienhaus Softball Complex. The game was resumed after being halted on April 17 due to weather.
UWL improves to 21-16 overall and 5-7 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while UW-Oshkosh drops to 29-6-1 overall and 10-2 in the conference. The Titans clinched at least a share of the WIAC regular season title with their doubleheader sweep over UW-Stevens Point on April 30.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Friday as
Lindsay Steien walked to start the inning, stolen second with one out and went to third on
Kasey Brouchoud's single. Steien came in on a
Marissa Pease sacrifice bunt for the game's first run.
Kasey Brouchoud went 3-for-4 with two RBI in the win.
UWL added to its lead with three runs in the top of the second.
Laci Heppell reached on a throwing error to lead-off and went to second on
Ava Jaehnke's walk.
Chloe Brown's single loaded the bases. After a fielder's choice for the first out,
Brooke Howard singled to score Jaehnke to make it 2-0. After a UW-Oshkosh pitching change, Brouchoud delivered a two-run single scoring Brown and Steien to extend the lead to 4-0.
Howard led-off the seventh with a single and advanced to second on a Brouchoud single. Pease's sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position and Howard scored as
Amber Gonzalez reached on fielder's choice bunt to make it 5-0.
Kaeley Niemiec,
Claire Springer and
Brynne Bieri combined on a four-hit shutout. Niemiec went 3.0 innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three while Springer (3-1) earned the victory, going 2.0 innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts. Bieri recorded her second save of the year, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing one hit while striking out three.
UWL had nine hits in the game with Brouchoud finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI. Howard went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI while Steien scored twice.
Brianna Bougie suffered the loss for UW-Oshkosh, going 1.1 innings, allowing four runs, four hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Four different players recorded a hit for the Titans.
UWL returns to action Saturday, May 2 with a doubleheader at UW-Stout at 1 p.m.
