04/18/06

Starter Rilee Dawson pitched the best game of her season so far in holding Eau Claire scoreless through the first six innings of game one while clinging to a 1-0 lead. Dawson scattered seven hits without allowing a run over those innings, working her way out of jams with runners in scoring positions in the first, fourth and sixth innings.
The Saints opened the scoring in the second when Erica Bond reached base with a single then later scored from third when the Blugold shortstop mishandled a Dawson grounder.
The Saints almost put another across the plate in the fourth when consecutive two-out singles looked like the Saints would have runners on the corners, but Missy Erickson was caught in a run-down for the third out with Joann Juten a third.
Eau Claire was still down 1-0 entering what the Saints hoped would be their final at bat, but a lead off double to left field immediately put the lead in danger.
Dawson sent the next batter down swinging for out number one, then the next popped up to catcher Kelly Cordie for the second out. Consecutive singles from the top of the order scored the tying run, though, sending the game to extra innings.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Kristi Erickson and Bond singled and advanced on throws to put runners at second and third. Cordie lined out to the leftfielder and Dawson hit a come-backer to the mound the ended the threat.
Identical to the Saints inning, the Blugolds used consecutive one-out singles to put a baserunner in scoring position. This time, though, Eau Claire brought the runner home with a walk-off single to left center that scored the winning run.
Dawson (2-3) pitched 7 and 2/3 innings, allowed two runs and 13 hits without a walk, while picking up seven strikeouts.
Kristi Erickson and Bond were both 2-for-4 in the game to lead the Saints at the plate.

Scoring in game two came early as the Saints used a Dre Thomas double followed by a Laura Heise single to break out on top 1-0 in the top of the first.
Eau Claire answered with a tying run in the bottom of the third, then a go-ahead run in the fourth.
But this time around the Saints had an answer, too.
Jody Yurczyk led off the fifth with a single then stole second base. After a pop up for out number one, Kristi Erickson walked and Thomas singled to load the bases. Heise's groundout to second brought Yurczyk in and knotted things up at 2-2.
Consecutive singles by Kelly Cordie, Rilee Dawson and Joann Juten loaded the bases. Yurczyk hit into a fielders choice that allowed the Blugolds to get Cordie out at the plate for the first out of the inning. The bases were still loaded for Sara Kneisl and her long sacrifice fly to left brought Dawson in for the go-ahead run.
Heise picked up the start on the mound for the Saints in game two and had limited Eau Claire to a pair of early runs on only three hits. She wasn't going to see the lead slip away again and allowed only two baserunners -- one via a walk, the other on an error -- over the final four innings, clinching the win for the Saints. Heise (15-4) pitched seven innings, surrendered two runs on two hits, walked one and fanned nine.
Thomas, Cordie, and Heise each had two hits apiece in the win. Heise had two RBI and Kneisl picked up the game-winning RBI.

The No. 16 Saints (21-7) next play in two UMAC Crossovers on consecutive weekends.
Over the first weekend in Mankato, Minn. on April 21-22 the Saints will play against Presentation, Martin Luther, Minn.-Morris, and Bethany Lutheran.
On the weekend of April 28-29 they travel to Ashland, Wis. where they'll play the same four teams.