Eau Claire, Wis. (uwrfsports.com) – In the first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) games of the 2017 season, the UW-River Falls softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against No. 9 UW-Eau Claire.

THE RUNDOWN: GAME 1
Final Score: UW-River Falls: 4, UW-Eau Claire 7
Location: Carson Park, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Record: UWRF: 6-12 (0-1 WIAC), UWEC 16-3 (1-0 WIAC)
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• It was the Falcons who struck first, but the Blugolds exploded for five runs in the second, and that was all UW-Eau Claire needed to defeat the visiting Falcons.
• UWRF got on the board after Mady Bunnell opened the inning with a double. She would cross home plate after an error by the Blugolds.
• The five run second inning for Eau Claire started with a double. The Blugolds went on to get the first five batters on base. The Blugolds capped the inning off with a three RBI home run to lead 5-1.
• UW-River Falls put their rally caps on in the next inning. They had the first three runners get one base. Lexi Dupee scored on a heads up play after a failed pickoff attempt.
• Ali Murray then singled straight up the middle to bring home Ali Krohn, making the score 5-3.
• Eau Claire scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, with both runs in the inning coming with two outs.
• River Falls scored one last run in the top of the sixth with an Amber Galloway double. She brought home DoniBrooke Ross, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning.
• Carolyn Griswold took the loss for UWRF. She pitched four innings and had three strikeouts.

 
THE RUNDOWN: GAME 2
Final Score: UW-River Falls: 3, UW-Eau Claire 4
Location: Carson Park, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Record: UWRF: 6-13 (0-2 WIAC), UWEC 17-3 (2-0 WIAC)
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, and shutting out the No. 10 UW-Eau Claire for four innings, the Blugolds stormed back in their final two frames at the plate to defeat the Falcons 4-3.   
• Neither team scored in the first two innings with an early pitcher's duel between Payton Speckel and Sarah Peka.
• The Falcons struck first in the top of the third inning. UWRF smacked four straight singles to score the three runs. Dupee brought home the first run, and Aiyana Ledwein brought home the other two.
• Speckel had the Blugold's number for the first four innings. She was credited with six strikeouts in five and one third innings pitched.
• Eau Claire got on the board with an RBI double in the fifth. Maddie Studnicka took over for Speckel in the circle, but the Blugolds eventually tied the game at 3-3 when all the dust settled.
• Eau Claire took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Taylor Mort hit a leadoff homerun to take a 4-3 lead.
• In the final two innings at the plate, the Falcons did not register a hit, and finished with six.
• The Falcons committed three errors in the game, none led to runs for the Blugolds.
• Studnicka took the loss for the Falcons in her two thirds inning of work.

 
 

IN-DEPTH LOOK

• Both Kaia Dorn and Ledwein had three hits in the doubleheader. Ledwein was the only Falcon batter to have multiple RBIs during the doubleheader.
• Speckel finished the doubleheader with seven more strikeouts to add to her team-leading 56.
• Dupee extended her hitting streak to six straight games. She is hitting .406 this season.

THE OPPOSITION

• The Blugolds had four different players have multiple hit games during the doubleheader. Rachel Heffel and Evie Schaller each had three hits.
• Lauren Blasczyk and Sarah Peka each went all seven innings for the Blugolds. Peka had four strikeouts, and zero walks.

 
LOOKING FORWARD
The Falcons will now return home where they will face WIAC foe, UW-Stevens Point (8-12, 0-1 WIAC). UWRF split with the Pointers in 2016.