LA CROSSE, Wis. – The No. 5 seeded UW-River Falls softball team fell to No. 4 seed UW-Whitewater 5-2 and No. 2 seed UW-Oshkosh 9-0 Friday in the opening day of the 2022 WIAC Tournament.
The Falcons' season ends with a 17-16 overall record.
#4 UW-Whitewater 5, #5 UW-River Falls 2
The Warhawks took the first lead of the game in the second inning before the Falcons rallied to cut the deficit to 3-2, but a two-run fifth for UWW extended the comeback out of reach.
In the fourth inning, UWRF's
Jewel Waupekenay successfully completed a sacrifice bunt to move
Keegan Piton and
Grace Petersen into scoring position.
Eleanor Hoge followed with a two-RBI single up the middle to cut the UWW lead to 3-2.
UWW responded with a pair of runs the following inning to extend its lead to 5-2 while knocking our Falcon starting pitcher
Corinne Roe, who was relieved by
Lindsey Duggan.
Whitewater relief pitcher Kate Cleveland held the Falcons scoreless and did not allow a base hit in the final 3.2 innings to seal the win for the Warhawks.
Roe suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
The Falcons were limited to three base hits, one each from Piton, Hoge, and
Hannah Richards.
#2 UW-Oshkosh 9, #5 UW-River Falls 0 (5 inn.)
The Titans, who lost its opening game against No. 3 seed UW-Eau Claire, scored nine off 10 hits while starting pitcher Maddie Fink held the Falcons scoreless and to just a pair of base hits.
Oshkosh scored off a couple singles and a Falcon error early on in the first inning, which stood as the eventual game-winning run. UWO scored three more in the third, knocking Falcon starting pitcher
Juliana Reynolds out of the game, and added five more in the fifth to end the game early.
Keegan Piton and
Mavis Sachs had the only two hits for UWRF.
Reynolds took the loss in the pitcher's circle, and was relieved by
Maggie Wallin and
Lindsey Duggan.
