Blugolds Earn WIAC Title With Sweep Of Titans

UW-Eau Claire secured the 2016 WIAC softball title with a pair of victories over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (April 30) in Eau Claire.

UW-Eau Claire (22-11-1, 11-2-1 WIAC) won the opening game over UW-Oshkosh (25-9, 10-4 WIAC), 2-1, on single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Blugolds then defeated the Titans, 6-3, in the nightcap to clinch their second straight and 11th overall WIAC regular-season championship.

With the wins, UW-Eau Claire earned the top seed for the five-team WIAC Championship that will be held May 6-8 in Eau Claire. UW-Oshkosh will be the second seed.

In the first contest, UW-Oshkosh clung to 1-0 lead until UW-Eau Claire tied the score on a solo home run by Kelsey Meredith in the sixth inning and walked off with the win on a two-out, run-scoring single by Tayler Mort in the seventh.

Abby Menting led off the UW-Oshkosh second inning with a double off of Blugolds starting pitcher Lauren Blasczyk. A sacrifice bunt by Paige Giese moved Menting to third base, and Kaitlyn Krol delivered a two-out single to score Menting with the game's first run.

Rachel Heffel led off the UW-Eau Claire fourth inning by reaching second base on an infield throwing error. Sam Noetzelman followed with a single, but Heffel was thrown out at the plate on the play by UW-Oshkosh left fielder Lauren Torborg. Sara Brunlieb, who allowed just two hits through the first five innings, kept the shutout intact in the fourth frame by getting a groundout and a strikeout.

Menting drew a one-out walk in the top of the sixth inning, but Blasczyk induced a double-play grounder off the bat of Giese to end the frame.

Meredith's third home run of the season tied the game in the sixth inning, and Brunlieb exited the game following a two-out double by Noetzelman. UW-Oshkosh relief pitcher Clare Robbe then stranded Noetzelman at second base by getting a groundout.

Blasczyk pitched a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts, and Morgan Lecheler hit a pinch-hit, one-out double in the home half of the frame against Robbe. Lecheler was then lifted for pinch runner Kiley Rondeau, who advanced to third base on a groundout and scored on Mort's game-winning hit to right-center field.

Blasczyk earned the complete-game victory, allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts against two walks.

Robbe (7-2) suffered the loss after surrendering one run on two hits in one-plus innings pitched.

Brunlieb went the first 5.2 innings in the pitcher's circle for the Titans, yielding one run on four hits with three strikeouts.

Menting had two hits for the Titans while Noetzelman had two for the Blugolds.

In the nightcap, UW-Eau Claire answered UW-Oshkosh's run in the first inning with three unearned runs in the bottom of the first frame and two more runs in the second as the Titans committed five errors and ceded five unearned runs in the game.

Menting extended her hitting streak to 10 games with a two-out, first-inning single that gave the Titans a 1-0 advantage against Blugolds starting pitcher Zana Lorbetske.

Heffel led off the UW-Eau Claire first inning with a single against Giese, the Titans starting pitcher. Heffel then went to second base while Noetzelman reached first base on an infield error. Evie Schaller later reached first base and Heffel scored on another infield error. Leah Wolff followed with a two-run single to score two more unearned runs before UW-Oshkosh recorded an out.

UW-Oshkosh stranded a pair of runners in the top of the second inning, and the Blugolds tacked on two runs in the bottom of the frame as Meredith bunted for a single with one out and came around to score on another throwing error. Schaller added a two-out, run-scoring double to increase the UW-Eau Claire lead to 5-1.

Krol delievered a two-out, run-scoring single in the third inning to trim the UW-Oshkosh deficit to 5-2, but the Blugolds answered with an unearned run in the fifth frame.

Brunlieb, who entered the pitcher's circle for Giese in the fourth inning, got two quick outs before consecutive infield errors allowed the Blugolds to reach first and second base. Carlie Christensen followed with a run-scoring single to give UW-Eau Claire a 6-2 lead.

Lorbetske set down the Titans in order during the sixth inning but walked Torborg and Menting to begin the seventh. Blasczyk relieved Lorbetske and struck out the first two batters she faced before allowing a run-scoring single to Krol.

With the potential tying run at the plate, Schaller, the Blugolds shortstop, made a running catch on a fly ball off the bat of Brianna Witter in shallow left field to end the contest as UW-Oshkosh left 11 runners on base in the nightcap.

Lorbetske was credited with the win after allowing three runs on four hits in six innings pitched. She walked seven and struck out five. Blasczyk gave up one hit and struck out two batters in a scoreless inning to notch her first save of the year.

Giese was charged with the loss, yielding five runs (one earned) on five hits in three innings pitched. Brunlieb allowed one unearned run on three hits in her three innings of relief.

Krol and Menting both had two of UW-Oshkosh's five hits, while Emma Lehman paced the Blugolds with two hits.

UW-Oshkosh concludes the regular season with a doubleheader at the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) on Sunday (May 1). The Tommies (33-5) are ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.