Blugolds finally get UW-W softball team

By GAZETTE STAFF Friday, May 8, 2009

Podcast Episode

UW-Whitewater women can't lose again in the NCAA regional softball tournament....

BLOOMINGTON, ILL. — Forget the cliché about beating the same team three times in one season. How about beating a team four times in one year?

The UW-Whitewater softball team found out how difficult that can be, especially when the opponent is the defending national champion. UW-Eau Claire got a three-run home run from catcher Bekki Kidnie in the first inning Thursday en route to a 5-1 victory over the Warhawks in the first round of the NCAA Division III regional tournament.

The top-seeded Warhawks (36-6) face Coe College (35-10) at 2 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament.

Whitewater had defeated Eau Claire with a pair of shutouts on Arpil 24 to sew up the WIAC title. The Warhawks also beat the Blugolds last Friday in the league tournament.

But Eau Claire (29-15) bounced back from a Thursday loss to Coe College to upend Whitewater.

The Blugolds added two runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead.

Whitewater’s Jessica Stang, then WIAC pitcher of the year, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter as she fell to 19-2. She came into the game with a 0.61 ERA. The five earned runs scored by the Bluegolds were the most allowed by Stang this season.

The lone Warhawk run came on Lauren Cruz’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly.

EAU CLAIRE 5, WHITEWATER 1

UW-Eau Claire 302 000 0—5 6 0

UW-Whitewater 000 100 0—1 8 1

Sturm, Meinen (6) and Kidnie, Arciszewski; Stang and Yucuis, Gaza.

Leading hitters—Harper (EC) 2x3, Kidnie (EC) 2x3, Gahl (W) 2x5. 2B—Gersich (W). HR—Kidnie.

SO—Sturm (EC0 3, Stang (W) 7. BB—Sturm 1, Meinen 1.

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