#4 Luther College (Iowa) 6, #23 UW-La Crosse 2
Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team fell 6-2 to Luther College (Iowa) Friday afternoon in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Regional at Gelein Field at Carson Park. The Eagles, now 28-15 on the season, will face UW-River Falls Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m. in an elimination game.
Luther improves to 39-4 on the season and will play the winner of the University of St. Thomas (Minn.)/ Ripon College (Wis.) contest.
Luther, ranked fourth on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Elisa Smith opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a single from Kelsey Weindruch. After a sacrifice bunt, Lauran Snyder walked to load the bases. After an out, Kelsey Kittleson drew a walk to score a run.
In the top of the fifth, UW-L's
Katie Fink singled and scored on
Jenna Ahnen's two-run home run to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The Norse came back with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-2 lead. Smith and Shari Huber each had two-run singles in the inning.
Lexy Determan (23-2) earned the win for Luther, going 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, two runs and three walks while striking out seven. Weindruch, Smith and Morgan Franklin each had two hits for the Norse.
Lauren Beres (14-11) suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing nine hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks with three strikeouts.
Fink finished 2-for-3 at the plate for the Eagles while Ahnen had both RBI.
The UW-Eau Claire Regional, which will take place May 12-15, follows a double-elimination format.
Eight regional winners advance to the 2011 NCAA Division III Softball Championship scheduled for May 20-24 in Salem, Virginia.
UW-L is making its fourth career appearance in the NCAA III Tournament, including the third straight. The Eagles went 0-2 in the 2009 regional at Simpson College (Iowa) and 2-2 in 2010 at UW-Whitewater. UW-L's first appearance in the national tournament was in 1986 when the team finished 2-2 at the UW-Whitewater Regional.
