UW-Stout 11, UW-Eau Claire 8 |
UW-Eau Claire 8, UW-Stout 0 (5 innings)
EAU CLAIRE (April 22, 2021) - UW-Stout hasn't seen such an outburst in a single inning in six years.
Trailing 5-1 heading into the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader at UW-Eau Claire, the Blue Devils sent 14 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs on their way to an 11-8 opening win over the Blugolds Thursday at Bellinger Field.
The Blue Devils (4-15) blasted 10 hits in the inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by
Kate Funk, two-run doubles by freshmen
Ashley Jacobson and
Katelyn Belleau and a two-run single by
Kaylee Peterson. In her second at-bat of the inning, Funk drove in her third run of the inning with a single. Jacobson, who got the inning started with a lead-off double, had two hits in the inning, as did Funk and Belleau.
Meghan Kelly drove in a run with a base-loaded walk to account for the other run.
Jacobson opened the sixth inning with a single, then moved on a wild pitch before Funk homered to center field.
Kayli Pfeffer singled and
Aliyah Smetana came in as a pinch runner. Following a pitching change, Belleau singled.
Jessica Christiansen loaded the bases with a single. Following an out, Kelly worked her way on with a walk, scoring Smetana. Peterson hit a two run single, then stole second.
An out gave Stout the chance to party with two outs. Jacobson ripped a two-run double, then came home on Funk's single. Pfeffer singled, moving Funk to second.
Allegra Larson came in as a pinch runner and Larson and Pfeffer pulled off the double steal. Belleau doubled to score Pfeffer and Larson to close out the scoring.
The Blugolds (18-10) did make it interesting, scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth, then led off the seventh inning on an Ellie Decker home run. Stout's Maddie Kleinschmidt recorded a strikeout, then an infield flyout. Kleinschmidt was relieved by
Melea Bruns after giving up an RBI double for what what prove to be the final score. Bruns earned her first save of the season by striking out the final batter looking.
Eau Claire scored three runs in the first inning. Stout answered back with a single run in the second when Christiansen's infield single scored Jacobson, who had led off the inning with a double. Eau Claire scored single runs in the second and third to hold a 5-1 lead going into the sixth.
Jacobson had her best offensive game as a Blue Devil, pounding out two doubles, while driving in two runs and going 3 for 4. Funk was 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBI. Pfeffer was 3 for 4, Belleau was 2 for 4 with two RBi and Christiansen was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Peterson had two RBI.
Kleinschmidt came on in relief to earn her second win, and gave up three earned runs, eight hits and struck out three.
Mackensie Wolterstorff started, going 2.0 inning, giving up three hits and five runs, three earned. Bruns faced one batter, recording a strikeout and her first save since the 2019 season.
The last time Stout scored in double digits in a single inning was March 15, 2016, when the Blue Devils scored 11 runs in the first inning of a 25-0 rout of Southern Vermont University on a spring break trip to Florida.
The Blue Devils used up all of their offense in the first game as Blugold pitcher Abbey Cook threw a five-inning, 8-0 perfect game. Eau Claire scored two runs in the first inning and six runs in the third inning. Both games today were non-conference games.
Stout returns to conference play Saturday, April 24 when they travel to UW-Platteville.
