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| Mandy Cerqua rounds third against UWEC |
UW-Platteville stood toe-to-toe with the nation's 13th-ranked team before UW-Eau Claire prevailed in 10 innings in a tense, well-played softball game Sunday.
The visiting Blugolds broke through with seven runs in the top of the 10th to win 10-4 and then completed the five-hour sweep with a 12-8 win.
The Blugolds strung together eight hits in the 10th, breaking the game open. Bekki Kidnie singled and eventually scored on Tamara Zeman's single, breaking the 3-3 tie that existed since the fifth inning. Jessica Flood added a two-run double and Kristi Doucette a home run in the inning. Becky Swanson homered in the bottom of the 10th for the Pioneers.
The game featured 31 hits (21 by Eau Claire), 60 putouts, 36 assists and no errors. Both teams gunned down runners at the plate preserving the tie, including in the ninth, when the Pioneers' Bridgette Clark threw out Michelle Butkus trying to score from second on a hit. The Pioneers put two runners on base with one out in the ninth, but Doucette induced an infield fly and a strikeout to end the threat.
Swanson had three hits for the Pioneers, while Jill Janke, Doucette and Kidnie each had three for the Blugolds.
UWEC jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third inning of the nightcap on 12 hits. The Pioneers cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, but came no closer than the final 12-8 score.
Tera Burr, Lindsay Weigand and Swanson all homered for the Pioneers, who fell to 10-16, 4-5 in the WIAC. Casey Leisgang had two singles, a triple and a home run for the Blugolds, now 20-6, 5-1.
Between games Sunday, the six seniors were saluted. Stefany Delifer, Nikki Hansen, Maggie Medlicott, Patty Meoska, Weigand, and Swanson played their final home weekend series. The Pioneers close their home season Wednesday at 3 p.m. vs. UW-Whitewater.
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