Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team traveled to Platteville, Wisconsin, for a rescheduled matchup against the UW-Platteville Pioneers. The Blugolds emerged victorious in both games, securing a 7-3 win followed by a 5-4 victory.

In the first game, Molly Marquardt from Manhattan, Illinois, initiated the scoring with a double that brought Kenna Strunsee home. UW-Platteville quickly responded with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Marquardt later hit a three-run homer in the third inning, extending Eau Claire's lead to 4-1. Despite some resistance from the Pioneers, who narrowed the gap to 4-3 by the fifth inning, Hailey Hagedorn and Marquardt contributed additional runs for Eau Claire, leading to their final score of 7-3.

Lauren Trottier played a key role as she entered in the sixth inning and secured her fourth save of the season. Jocelyn Hancock also contributed significantly by pitching five innings and earning her fourth win.

The second game saw Marquardt continue her strong performance with another home run. Megan Patterson added to the lead with a bunt that allowed Norah Kutnink to score. The Pioneers briefly took control in the fourth inning but were matched by Eau Claire's double steal play that tied the game at 4-4.

Kenna Strunsee then delivered a crucial single in the seventh inning that gave Eau Claire its winning margin of 5-4. Trottier once again helped secure victory by closing out the game with her fifth save of the year.

With these wins, Eau Claire improved their record to 16-14 overall and 5-5 in conference play. They are set to face UW-River Falls next on May 1st.