Falcons Finish Second at WIAC Tourney

May 4, 2008

The Falcon softball team made a great run at the WIAC Tournament championship on Sunday in Stevens Point.

UWRF entered the day as one of only two undefeated teams left in the tourney. The Falcons faced the other undefeated team, Oshkosh, in the team’s first game. UWO took a 2-1 win forcing the Falcons to battle back to the championship game.

And that’s what the Falcons did - and they did it in style.

The beat Eau Claire, 6-1, to stay alive and then faced Oshkosh again. The Falcons beat the Titans, 3-2, to force a deciding game. The Titans won that contest, 9-1, to win the tourney title.

The Falcons, who finished 29-13 overall, entered the tourney as the No. 5 seed and became the first team to ever beat the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds.

Oshkosh 2, River Falls 1
The Falcons lost for the first time in the tourney in their first game on Sunday. UWO took a close 2-1 win.

UWRF scored one run on seven hits and made no errors. UWO scored two runs on four hits and made no errors.

UWO took a 1-0 lead in the first on walk, stolen base and double to left center.

The Falcons tied the game in the second. Keri Feller led off with a single to center and Dana Book ran for her. Amanda Peters and Cassie Peterson each reached base on bunt singles to load the bases. Ashley James then put down another bunt that scored Book from third. But the Falcons couldn’t score again despite having the bases loaded with no outs.

UWO scored its second run in the fifth on a single, a sacrifice, a walk and a single to center. That proved to be the winning run. The Titans left runners on second and third.

The Falcons threatened in the sixth. Emily Howlett doubled to left center to lead off the inning. It was her school-record 16th double of the season. Feller followed with another single to center to put runners at the corners. Amanda Peters grounded out to third and Feller advanced to second on the play. Pinch hitter Dani Nadeau grounded out to third for the second out. But UWO pitcher Ronessa Stampfli got Ashley James to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Ashley Bertrand started on the mound for the Falcons and worked four innings. She allowed one earned run on two hits. She struck out four and walked three. Brittany Rathbun took the loss in relief. She also allowed one earned run on two hits. She struck out one and walked two.

River Falls 6, Eau Claire 1
The Falcons came back in an elimination game to beat Eau Claire, 6-1. UWRF scored six runs on 15 hits and made one error. UWEC had one run on seven hits and they made one error.

Rudiger led of the game with a homer to left field on a 2-1 pitch. It was her ninth homer of the season. The Falcons loaded the bases in the inning but couldn’t push another run across.

UWRF picked up two runs in the third. Howlett led off the inning with a triple to right center and Feller hit the next pitch over the left field fence for her ninth homer of the year.

The Falcons added three more runs in the fourth. Rachel Mathias led off the inning with a bunt single. She went to second when Rudiger singled to left. After Jessica Lundgren sacrificed both runners up a base, Howlett hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Mathias. Howlett’s fly ball was just feet short of clearing the fence. Feller then hit her second two-run homer of the game. Once again it came on the first pitch and it was her 10th round tripper of the season.

UWEC scored its run in the seventh on a double and run-scoring single.

Rathbun went the distance on the mound to pick up the win. It was her 10th complete game of the year. She allowed seven hits. She walked only one.

River Falls 3, Oshkosh 2
The Falcons started the game on the right foot scoring twice. Lead-off hitter Rudiger hit a homer to left field. It was her 10th homer of the year and came on the game’s first pitch. After an out, Howlett singled to center and later moved to second on a wild pitch. After a second out, Peters singled to center to score Howlett.

The Titans got right back in the game in the bottom of the first when Whitney Tornow hit a two-run homer to left to tie the game, 2-2.

The Falcons went ahead, 3-2, with a run in the third. With one out Howlett hit her 17th double of the season to left center. Feller lifted a fly to right and Howlett was tagging up. The throw to third was wild and Howlett scored on the play. That proved to be the game-winning run.

The Titans put runners on first and second with one out in the third. But Bertrand got the second out on a foul out and the third out with a strike out. In the sixth the Titans got a runner to second with one out. But Bertrand got the next two batters on strike outs – the final out looking.  

Peters finished a perfect 3-3 at the plate with one RBI. Howlett was 2-3 with two runs scored.

Bertrand picked up the win on the mound going the distance. She allowed just three hits and two earned runs. She struck out 12 and walked two.

Oshkosh 9, River Falls 1
Oshkosh scored nine runs on 13 hits and they made one error. UWRF had one run on two hits and they made one error.

UWO scored a single run in the first and fifth innings, four in the fourth and three in the sixth. UWRF scored its run in the fourth.

UWO got off to a fast start in the championship game as the lead-off hitter homered to center field.

UWO loaded the bases with one out in the third. Rathbun, in relief of starter Bertrand, got the second out with a strike out and the third out on a sharp grounder to second to end the threat.

The Titans pushed four runs across in the fourth when they batted around. With two outs and runners at first and second, back-to-back doubles scored three runs. Two more singles added another run. The Titans scored four runs on six hits in the inning.

The Falcons got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when lead-off hitter Rudiger hit a solo homer to left. It was her 11th homer of the season and came on a 2-1 count.

With two outs in the fifth, the Titans got on the scoreboard again. Two walks and a single scored a run to make it a 6-1 game.

A single and two walked loaded the bases in the sixth. A UWO double emptied the bases and gave the Titans a 9-1 lead.

Bertrand started on the mound and was relieved by Rathbun in the third. Bertrand re-entered the game in the fourth. Bertand pitched four and one-third innings and allowed five hits and five earned runs. She struck out seven and walked five. Rathbun worked one and two-thirds innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits. She struck out two.

2008 Falcon Schedule