Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader sweep of UW-Stout Wednesday afternoon at North Campus Field in the Eagles' regular-season finale. UW-L took the opener, 9-3, and the nightcap, 5-4. The Eagles improve to 18-19 overall and finish 10-13 in the WIAC while the Blue Devils wrap up their season at 12-27 overall and 6-18 in the conference.

With the victory in Wednesday's opener, UW-L clinched the fourth seed for the WIAC Tournament May 11-12 at UW-Whitewater. The Eagles face top-seeded UW-Whitewater Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

In the opener Wednesday, UW-Stout took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an unearned run coming in on Charlie Meyer's single. The Blue Devils added a run in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead as Jackson Hallahan scored on a Santiago Morales sacrifice fly.

UW-L took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Brett Jacobson and Josh Rowles started the inning with bunt singles and moved to third and second after Cole Cefalu's sacrifice bunt. Alex Cordova was then hit-by-pitch to load the bases and Brooks Braga singled home Jacobson to cut the lead to 3-1. Adam Cordova then tied the game with a two-run single scoring Rowles and Alex Cordova.

UW-Stout tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth as Matt Guida scored on UW-L throwing error. The Eagles took a 5-3 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth. Adam Cordova and Garrett Novinski singled with one out and after a strikeout, moved up to third and second on a wild pitch. Trevor Burmeister followed with a two-out two-run single knocking in Adam Cordova and Novinski.

The Eagles added four runs in the seventh to finish the scoring as the team hit four doubles in the inning. Novinski doubled with one out and scored on Ben Morgan's double. Jacobson then hit a two-out double to score Morgan for a 7-3 lead. Josh Rowles singled and Cefalu followed with a two-run double scoring Jacobson and Rowles.

Tim Verthein (3-6) earned the victory for UW-L, pitching 4.1 innings in relief. He allowed one hit with four strikeouts. Kevin Johnson started, going 3.2 innings, allowing three hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk while striking out one.

Every starter had at least one hit for the Eagles while six scored a run. Cefalu, Braga, Adam Cordova, Novinski, Jacobson and Rowles each had two hits. Cefalu, Adam Cordova and Burmeister had two RBI while Novinski, Jacobson and Rowles scored twice.

Carter Vogt (0-6) took the loss for UW-Stout, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, six runs and one walk with three strikeouts. Hallahan had three of the Blue Devils' five hits, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored.

In the nightcap, the Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Alex Cordova and Braga singled with one out and scored on Adam Cordova's single. Novinski then drew a walk and Taylor Kohlwey hit a sacrifice fly to score Braga and 2-0 lead.

UW-L added two runs in the fourth. Nic Barnes and Rowles had one-singles and scored on Cefalu's two-run double.

The Blue Devils cut the lead to 4-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Beau Jernberg had an RBI single and Morales drew a bases-loaded walk. UW-Stout then tied the game in the seventh on a Hallahan RBI groundout and Morales single.

Kohlwey gave the Eagles a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single scoring Braga.

Mitch LaVelle opened the top of the ninth and went to third on Hallahan's sacrifice bunt. After Morales walked, Skyler Debilzen came into the game for UW-L. He struck out Meyer for the second out with Morales stealing second. Debilzen then retired Guida on ground out to shortstop to strand runners on second and third.

Jake Stern (1-0) earned the win for UW-L, pitching 1.0 inning in relief. He allowed one hit. Greg Koch made his first career start for the Eagles, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs and two walks. Mark Kowalke went 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and one walk with one strikeout. Debilzen earned his fifth save of the season, pitching 0.2 of an inning with one strikeout. 

Eight of nine starters had a hit for UW-L in the second game. Cefalu, Braga, Novinski and Barnes each had two hits. Cefalu and Kohlwey each had two RBI while Braga scored twice. 

Andrew Driessen (3-3) suffered the loss for UW-Stout, pitching 7.2 innings. He allowed 12 hits, five runs and one walk while striking out two. 

LaVelle, Kasey Kruse and Jernberg each had two hits for the Blue Devils while Morales finished with two RBI. 

 UW-L returns to action Saturday, May 11 at the WIAC Tournament. The Eagles will face UW-Whitewater starting at 10 a.m. in the double elimination tournament.