The LeTourneau University softball team dropped a doubleheader, 6-0 and 7-9 to the UW-Eau Claire on Thursday night at the LETU Softball Field.

LeTourneau (9-10) junior Briana Williams had two hits in game one and another hit and a RBI in the nightcap to pace the YellowJacket offense.
 
UW-Eau Claire (7-9), who are in the midst of playing five-different American Southwest Conference teams on a Spring Break trip, were led by Amanda Fischer, who had three hits in each game. Pitcher Zana Lorbetske picked up the win in both games. As a starter in game one, Lorbetske went the distance, allowing four hits in the shutout. In relief, in the nightcap, Lorbetske pitched the final 1.2 innings, striking out two to improve her record to 4-1.
 
Game 1
A five-run first inning and an additional run in the second run was enough to lead the Blugoldss to the 6-0 shutout win over the YellowJackets in game one. Fischer had three hits, two runs and two RBI in the win to lead a 10-hit attack for UW-Eau Claire. Kenzie Winning and Kelsey Meredith each had two hits in the win for UWEC.
 
LeTourneau was limited to four hits – two from the bat of Williams in the loss. The YellowJackets stranded baserunners in the second, fourth and sixth inning in the loss. Matulis, allowed six hits and struck out two in 2.1 innings in the loss to fall to 2-5.
 
Nine batters went to the plate in the first inning for UW-Eau Claire as they scored five times on three hits in the early 5-0 lead. Fischer stretched the lead to 6-0 with a solo home run in the second inning. UWEC stranded the bases loaded in the third and a pair of runners in the seventh in the win. Lorbetske gave up four singles in the complete game win and struck out 11 for UW-Eau Claire.
 
Game 2
In the nightcap, the lead went back and forth for most of the contest, but it was two runs in the top of the seventh that proved to be the difference. For the second-straight game, UWEC had double-digit hits in the win. The Blugolds offense accounted for 11 hits with Fischer having three and Leah Wolff, Kelsey Meredith and Casey Arnold each adding two in the win. The LeTourneau offense spread its five hits among five-different players. In relief, LETU senior Kaylee Pritchett was the tough-luck loser. She allowed just three hits and two runs in the loss to fall to 2-4.
 
After UW-Eau Claire scored once in the top of the first, LeTourneau tied it in the bottom half of the inning. In the inning, junior Megan Hill reached on a fielding error. She moved from first to third on a sacrifice bunt and an error by the Blugolds. Then, Williams laid down a successful squeeze bunt to score a hustling Hill from third to tie the contest.
 
UW-Eau Claire regained the lead with two runs in the top half of the second before LeTourneau plated four in its half to take a 5-3 lead. In the inning, the big blast was a two-RBI single by sophomore Courtney Matulis. A fielding error by the Blugolds on a misplayed ball allowed the other two runs to score for LeTourneau.
 
With a 5-3 lead, UW-Eau Claire tied in the fourth with three hits, including a RBI ground out and a RBI single. LeTourneau stranded the bases loaded in its half of the fourth.
 
The Blugolds scored twice on in the seventh on just one hit. With one out, the UW-Eau Claire took its first lead since the second inning on a sacrifice fly with one out for a 6-5 lead; then, a RBI single stretched the lead to two, 7-5.
 
The YellowJackets will return to the rigors of American Southwest Conference play as they host local rival UT Tyler for a three-game series. The series gets underway with a 4 p.m. contest on Friday and a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.