The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) played against UW-Eau Claire in their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader Saturday Apr. 25 at 1 and 3 p.m. The games took place on Senior Day on the North Campus Field. UW-Eau Claire took the opening game 8-7 before the Eagles won the second game with an ending score of 7-5.
During the opener UWL took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Lindsay Steien earned a double on her own hit to start the game and later advanced to third on Brooke Howard’s fly-out. UWL’s Kasey Brouchoud followed with an RBI single and brought Steien home for the game’s first run. The Eagles added an additional two runs in the second inning on a fielding error by the Blugolds’ resulting in a 3-0 lead for the Eagles.
As the game progressed, UW-Eau Claire scored its first runs in the top of the third inning. Emma Raikowski walked and scored on Breeley Gluch’s two-run homer and cut the lead 3-2. Continuing into the fifth inning, the Blugolds took the lead with an additional four runs. Gluch’s solo home run tied the game 3-3, and Paige Lathrop scored on Norah Kutnink’s single advancing their lead 4-3. After a UWL error Jane Wallace and Kutnink made it home following into the sixth inning Claire Beck and Kutnink each had RBI singles (8-3).
UWL’s Aliyah Langrehr was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded adding an additional run in the bottom of the sixth. Following was Josie Flom scoring at home on Steien’s fielder’s choice (8-5). Pinch-runner Kaeley Niemiec and Steien scored on an error from the Blugolds’ (8-7).
In the last inning Amber Gonzalez and Flom singled, Ava Jaehnke reached on a fielder’s choice bunt and loaded the bases. However, Gonzalez was thrown out at home from a fielder’s choice by Lauren Thurk making that two outs for UWL. Carly Gross struck out and ended the game. Carmen Follette suffered the loss for UWL meanwhile, UW-Eau Claire’s Beck took the victory for the opener.
In the second game, each team scored four runs in the first inning. Hailey Hagedorn’s RBI single brought Lathrop home for the first run of the inning. Hagedorn and Beck later scored on a UWL fielding error, Raikowski’s single brought in Chole Ricard following the previous error (4-0).
In the bottom of the first for the nightcap, UWL responded with two singles from Steien and Brooke Howard. Following the two singles, Brouchoud reached on a fielder’s choice and loaded the bases. Two of the three runners were brought home on a hit by Marissa Pease and Brouchoud was able to score on a fielding error (4-3).
UWL rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three runs and extended the lead 7-5. UW-Eau Claire had corners (runners on first and third base) with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, but Kennedy Tumm grounded out to end the game. Brooklyn Bigalke earned the win for UWL while Megan Standiford took the loss for UW-Eau Claire.
UWL takes the field again against UW-River Falls Apr. 29 at 2 p.m. More can be seen here.
