Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rochester, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team split a pair of games Saturday at the Rochester Regional Stadium and Bubble Dome at Rochester Community and Technical College.  The Eagles earned a 4-2 victory over the University of Dubuque (Iowa) before falling 11-6 to Buena Vista University (Iowa).  UW-L is now 4-4 on the season.

Versus Dubuque (Iowa), UW-L took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Brittany Baldwin started the inning being hit-by-pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Megan Nelson followed with a walk.  After Emilie Wiltzius' fielder's choice forced Baldwin out at third base for the first out, Alecia Faber popped out to the shortstop for the second out of the inning.  Kelli Anderson followed with a run-scoring single to score Nelson for a 1-0 UW-L lead.  Kendra Brown then singled home Wiltzius for the second run of the inning.

The Spartans cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of third as Kelli Gerace had a two-out RBI single to knock in Dia Borden.  The Eagles added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning.  Wiltzius doubled to start the frame and was replaced by pinch-runner Erin Maletzke, who advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Faber's sacrifice fly scored Maletzke to give UW-L a 3-1 advantage and Anderson followed with a solo home run for a 4-1 lead.

Dubuque (Iowa) cut the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gerace singled to start the inning and after a strikeout and pop-out, Hannah Koerperich drew a two-out walk.  Carlee Grunder's RBI single knocked in Gerace to make it 4-2.  Gianna Kuras walked to load the bases, but Borden struck out to end the inning.  The Spartans had the tying runs on base in the bottom of the seventh, but grounded into a double play to end the game.

Heather Grelle earned the win for UW-L, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and one walk with one strikeout.  Katie Klein picked up the save, going 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and three walks while striking out three.

Anderson finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.  Wiltzius and Brown each had one hit.

Against Buena Vista (Iowa), each team scored a pair of runs in the first inning.  The Beavers got on the board in the top of the first on a solo home run from Jordan Pilcher and RBI single by Keely Bycroft.  The Eagles responded with their two runs in the bottom of the inning as Wiltzius had an RBI single to score Faber and Nelson scored on a Buena Vista (Iowa) error.

UW-L took a 6-2 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second.  Brittany Baldwin's bunt single knocked in Maletzke with the go-ahead run.  Katrina O'Keefe made it 4-2 scoring on an error and Nelson followed with a two-run double to score Baldwin and Emily Holldorf.

Buena Vista (Iowa) tied the game in the top of the third inning as Bycroft hit an RBI single and Jeanne Bramhall a two-run home run to cut the lead to 6-5. Lesa Turnquist tied the game with a run-scoring double.

The Beavers took a 9-6 lead in the fourth.  Pilcher's RBI double scored Stephanie Hayden to give Buena Vista (Iowa) a 7-6 lead.  Pilcher later scored on a UW-L error and Bramhall's sacrifice fly made it 9-6.  The Beavers added two more runs in the sixth on Bycroft's two-run home run.

Klein suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 4.1 innings of relief.  She allowed four hits, five runs (three earned) and one walk with seven strikeouts. Jessie Carignan started for the Eagles, going 3.0 innings, allowing five hits and three runs with one walk.  Grelle pitched 0.2 of an inning.  She allowed four hits and three runs.

Nelson went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored for the Eagles while O'Keefe finished 2-for-3 with an run scored.

UW-L returns to action Sunday, March 15 starting its 12-game spring trip in the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational Games.  The Eagles open the trip versus Central College (Iowa) at 9 a.m. March 15.