Chris KempThe UW-Eau Claire women’s softball team came away from conference play on Saturday in Oshkosh with mixed results, losing against UW-Oshkosh 2-1, but managing a victory against UW-Whitewater 6-3.
The games brought the Blugolds’ record to 22-5 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC.
Coach Leslie Huntington accredited the loss to a lack of momentum and an inability to capitalize on several offensive opportunities.
“Our offense that has propelled us through the first half of the season wasn’t there yesterday,” she said Sunday. “The Oshkosh game basically was a story of missed opportunity.”
Huntington cited 13 times in the Oshkosh game in which the Blugolds had players on base, but couldn’t generate runs.
The ‘Golds only run of the game came in the second inning after Oshkosh pitcher Cassie Goodweiler threw a wild pitch that allowed sophomore Rachel Paulus to cross home plate.
Oshkosh answered with a run in the sixth and a tie-breaking run in the 10th.
“They got the game winning hit when they needed it,” Paulus said, “and we didn’t.”
The game against Whitewater ended on a different note, as the Blugolds got a run early in the game, establishing momentum, which Huntington said the team lacked in the first game.
| “The Oshkosh game basically was a story of missed opportunity.” –Leslie Huntington Coach |
“I think scoring early, giving us a little more momentum and getting some base hits early made the difference in that game,” she said.
That momentum was rekindled in the fourth inning when sophomore Mallory McKinney hit a single-run homer.
The action continued in the sixth, when sophomore Amber Haack hit a home run with two runners on base. Haack said she had been hitting well all day, and actually was going for a base hit when she got the right pitch.
“I was just looking for a base hit,” she said. “But I managed to pull out a home run.”
Senior Molly Blakewell agreed with Huntington that the difference between the two games was the Blugolds offense.
“It came back to the whole hitting thing,” she said. “With Oshkosh we weren’t hitting at the right times.”
With Oshkosh and Whitewater in the WIAC, Huntington said the Blugolds still have a shot at a conference championship.
“We’re still in the race,” she said. “It’s going to come down to the conference tournament.”
The team went on to play UW-Stevens Point and UW-Platteville Sunday, falling to Stevens Point 3-0 and defeating Platteville 2-1 to finish off the tournament.
The split brought the Blugolds record to 23-6 on the year and 6-2 in the WIAC.
The women will play again Wednesday when they host UW-Stout for a doubleheader. The first game begins at 4 p.m. at Carson Park.
