Stephanie Anderson (Milwaukee/King) and Hope Krause (Mishicot/Mishicot) combined for a pair of shutouts as UW-Stevens Point achieved a memorable softball performance on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep at fifth-ranked UW-Eau Claire.
Anderson pitched a six-inning five-hitter in an 8-0 opening-game win, while Krause fired a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory in the second game to extend the Pointers' winning streak to seven games.

The defeats snapped the Blugolds' 18-game home conference winning streak and marked the first time they have been shutout twice at home by a conference opponent. UW-Stevens Point had lost 18 of the previous 20 meetings between the teams and swept the Blugolds for the first time since April 4, 1989, though the schools were in different divisions for many of the previous seasons.

UW-Stevens Point jumped out to a quick lead in the opening game as Anderson ripped a two-run single for a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Laura Van Abel followed with a three-run double in the second inning for a 5-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, Anderson cruised along, finishing with seven strikeouts and one walk in her complete game. Korryn Brooks (Stevens Point/SPASH) added a two-run double and Anderson hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to provide the needed margin to put the eight-run rule in effect.

Krause kept Blugolds' hitters off balance throughout in the second game with only one strikeout and no walks. She carried a no-hitter until two outs in the sixth when she surrendered a single by Mandy Tschernach.

The Pointers also didn't manage much offense with four hits off Blugolds' pitcher Stacy Epping. However, senior Melissa Boldt (New Berlin/Eisenhower) provided the game's only run with a solo homer in the third inning. It was Boldt's first career home run in her 96th game with the Pointers.

UW-Stevens Point is now 17-3 overall, while UW-Eau Claire, which had scored 69 runs over its previous seven games, fell to 15-7 overall. The games were the conference openers for both teams.