Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a doubleheader split at UW-Eau Claire Saturday afternoon at Relein Field.  The Blugolds took the opener, 12-2 in five innings, while the Eagles came back to win the nightcap, 9-7 in eight innings.  UW-L, receiving votes on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, is now 24-8 overall and 9-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while UW-Eau Claire is 17-15 overall and 9-3 in the conference

In the opener, UW-L took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with Emily Holldorf scoring on Emilie Wiltzius' fielder's choice bunt and Megan Nelson scoring on a Alecia Faber sacrifice fly.

UW-Eau Claire cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as Taylor Pierce scored on Leah Wolff's single.  The Blugolds took a 5-2 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second on Kelsey Meredith's two-run home run, Casey Arnold's RBI single and Deanna Gilane's RBI triple.

UW-Eau Claire tallied five times in the bottom of the third to take a 10-2 advantage.  Amanda Fischer hit a three-run home run while Gilane added a two-run home run in the inning.  The Blugolds finished the scoring with a pair of runs in the fourth inning with Kenzie Winning scoring off a double steal and Meredith's run-scoring single.

Megan Nelson (6-4) took the loss in the opener, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing five hits, five runs and two walks with one strikeout.  Nelson, Faber and Brittany Baldwin each had one hit for the Eagles.

Lauren Blasczyk (7-6) earned the win for UW-Eau Claire, going 5.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out three.  The Blugolds finished with 13 hits in the opener.  Fischer went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs while Gilane, Wolff, Meredith and Sam Noetzelman each had two hits.  Gilan and Meredith finished with three RBI while Noetzelman scored three runs.

In the nightcap, UW-L took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.  Brittany Baldwin scored after Nelson reached on a UW-Eau Claire error to make it 1-0 and Faber added an RBI double to knock in Holldorf for a 2-0 lead.  UW-Eau Claire cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as Fischer scored on a UW-L error.

Jessie Carignan's solo home run in the top of the second gave UW-L a 3-1 advantage.  UW-Eau Claire made it 3-2 in the third as Meredith scored on a passed ball.

The Eagles took a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth on Faber's single scoring Brooke Baldwin, but the Blugolds scored five runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth.  Fischer tripled to start the inning and scored on a Pierce single to cut the deficit to 4-3.  After a sacrifice bunt moved Pierce to second, Gilane singled through the left side to tie the game.  After a the second sacrifice bunt of the frame moved pinch-runner Emily Pomykalski to second, Rachel Heffel and Winning drew walks to load the bases. Nikki Brooks then drew a bases-loaded walk to give UW-Eau Claire a 5-4 lead.  Meredith's two-run single made it 7-4.

UW-L rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to force extra-innings.  Brittany Baldwin walked with one out and advanced to second on Holldorf's infield single.  Nelson then walked to load the bases.  After UW-Eau Claire recorded the second out of the inning, UW-L's Faber singled to center field to knock in Baldwin to cut the lead to 7-5.  Greta Gumness followed with a pinch-hit two-run single scoring Holldorf and Nelson to tie the game.

After UW-Eau Claire was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, UW-L quickly took the lead in the top of the eighth.  Kendra Brown singled to start the inning and advanced to second on Brittany Baldwin's sacrifice bunt.  Holldorf's infield single moved Brown to third.  Jenny Gallagher came in as a pinch-runner for Brown and Nelson followed with a two-run double to score Holldorf and Gallagher.

The Blugolds got the tying run at the plate with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but Nelson struck out Winning and got Brooks to ground out to end the game.

Nelson (7-4) earned the win in the nightcap, pitching 2.1 innings of relief.  She alllowed two hits with two strikeouts.  Carignan started for the Eagles, going 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, six runs and two walks while striking out three.  Holldorf finsihed 3-for-5 with three runs in the second game while Faber went 3-for-4 with three RBI.  Nelson had three RBI and Brittany Baldwin scored twice.

Blasczyk (7-7) suffered the loss for UW-Eau Claire, going 1.1 innings of relief.  She allowed four hits and two runs with one strikeout.  Laura Raflik started for the Blugolds, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing four hits, three runs and one walk with two strikeouts.  Fischer and Meredith each went 2-for-3 with Fischer recording two runs scored and Meredith with two RBI and one run.

UW-L returns to action Thursday, April 23 at 13th-ranked UW-Whitewater starting at 3 p.m.