River Falls scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings before scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a passed ball to snap Chippewa Falls’ 25-game Big Rivers Conference winning streak, 7-6, Thursday afternoon at UW-River Falls’ Perkins Stadium.
The win also ended a 55-game losing streak for the Wildcats against Chippewa Falls dating back to 1995.
The Cardinals entered Thursday’s game undefeated in BRC play at 11-0 (12-2 overall) and ranked No. 9 in the Wissports.net Division 1 coaches poll and led 6-3 before the Wildcats rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score.
Lilly Burke led off the inning with a base hit and Jordan Schwantz followed with a one-out single before Avery Amidon drove in both with a double to left and scored on a two-out single by Audra Adermann.
Adermann, who relieved starting pitcher Ali Laube in the sixth, worked a one-two-three inning in the top of the eighth and left a Cardinal runner stranded at third in the top of the ninth.
Schwantz led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, moved to third on an Amidon groundout to second, and scored the game-winning run on a 2-0 passed ball with Morgan Kivel at the plate.
River Falls took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Schwantz doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch. Chippewa tied it with two runs in the fourth and scored four runs in the sixth to take a 6-2 lead.
Singles by Amidon and Kivel, a walk to Alexis Ralston and a wild pitch resulted in a Wildcat run in the bottom of the sixth before the Cats scored three times in the seventh to force extra innings.
Schwantz had three of the Wildcats’ 10 hits, including a pair of doubles, and scored three times while Amidon singled, doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice. Burke also had two hits, including a double, and scored two runs while Kivel had a pair of singles.
Adermann earned the victory in the circle, allowing one unearned run on two hits with no strikeouts and three walks in four innings of work.
The victory boosted the Wildcats’ record to 6-4 in BRC play, 11-4 overall. They’ll host a nonconference doubleheader with Prescott Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. at UWRF’s Perkins Stadium.
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