Box Score Menomonie, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team fell 2-1 to UW-Whitewater in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament Friday afternoon at UW-Stout's Alumni Field.  The Eagles drop to 21-12 with the loss while the Warhawks improve to 28-8.  UW-L will face UW-Platteville in an elimination game Friday at 4 p.m.  UW-Platteville fell 1-0 to UW-Stout in Friday's first game.  UW-Whitewater advances to play Saturday, May 3 at noon versus the winner of the UW-Eau Claire/UW-Oshkosh contest.

UW-Whitewater, the tournament's second seed, took a 1-0 lead  in the bottom of the second inning. Paige Evangelista led-off with a double and moved to third on a Laura Eichenold sacrifice bunt.  Jo Jablonski's groundout scored Evangelista.

UW-L, the fifth seed in this year's tournament, tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Emilie Wiltzius singled with one out and was replaced by pinch-runner Erin Maletzke. Megan Nelson reached on a fielder's choice to force Maletzke out at second base for the second out.  Nelson advanced to second on a UW-Whitewater passed ball.  After Kelli Anderson drew a walk, Mary Kate Pryor's single knocked in Nelson to the the game.

The Warhawks, ranked 23rd on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fourth on an Eagles' error.  Chelsey Schobert singled with two outs for UW-Whitewater and advanced to third on Samie Seamon's double.  Pinch-hitter Caitlin Snyder was intentionally walked to load the bases.  Kelly McGrail reached on a UW-L error with Schobert scoring the lead run.

Neither team recorded a hit the remainder of the game with the only base runner being a two-out walk by UW-L's Katie Fink in the fifth inning.

Nelson (8-6) suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk with one strikeout. Wiltzius, Nelson, Pryor and Lindsey Sheehan each finished with one hit for the Eagles.

Bekka Houda (13-4) earned the win for UW-Whitewater.  She pitched 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and four walks while striking out six.  Schobert went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

UW-L faces UW-Platteville Friday at 4 p.m. in a WIAC Tournament elimination game.