Defending National Champion UW-Eau Claire Sweeps St. Norbert

From Sports Information Director, April 15, 2009 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

EAU CLAIRE - Defending NCAA Division III softball champion UW-Eau Claire swept a non-league doubleheader from St. Norbert College by scores of 7-1 and 9-1 at Gelein Field at Carson Park.

The Blugolds improved to 22-7 on the season, while the Green Knights had a five-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 7-13.

St. Norbert carried a 1-1 tie into the fifth inning, but the Blugolds put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the sixth. The Green Knights scored their run in the top of the first when Stephanie Ortiz had an infield single. Following a groundout, Kayla Krueger singled into right-center field to plate Ortiz.

Ortiz finished the opener 2-for-5, while Kim Sawyer added a double. Krueger took the loss, going five innings allowing seven hits, four runs, one walk and four strikeouts.

Eau Claire scored five times in the third and four times in the fifth to close out the game. The Green Knights scored one run in the fourth, when Sawyer scored on a throwing error. St. Norbert had just one hit against Blugolds ace Jenny Ross, an Ortiz single with two outs in the fifth inning.

Kari Corbeille took the loss, allowing 12 hits, nine runs, thre walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Ross walked two and struck out 10 in her five innings.