| Box Score 2 UW-La Crosse 15, Coe College (Iowa) 4

La Crosse, Wis. -  The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned its first-ever trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship with a 15-4 victory over Coe College (Iowa) in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championship Sunday afternoon at Copeland Park.  The Eagles improve to 33-13 on the season and advance to the national championships May 22-27 in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Coe (Iowa) ends its season at 34-14.  The Eagles forced a second championship contest after earning a 5-4 win over the Kohawks in Sunday's first championship game.

UW-L started the scoring in the top of the first as Alex Cordova opened the game with a double down the right field line and scored on Taylor Kohlwey's single to make it 1-0.  Justin Anderson's RBI single scored Kohlwey in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead.

Coe (Iowa) took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a pair of two-run home runs as the first four batters of the inning scored.  Michael Goerdt singled to start the frame and scored on AJ Reuter's home run to left to tie the game at 2-2.  Jack Hoffmann followed with a single and came in on Jory Heckenberg's home run to give the Kohawks a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth, UW-L loaded the bases on three straight singles with one out.  Ben Morgan then hit a grounder to second, who flipped the ball to the shortstop for the force out, but the return throw to first sailed wide of the base allowing Cordova and Kohlwey to score to the game at 4-4.

A 17-minute rain delay halted the game following the top of the fifth and UW-L came back in the top of the sixth scoring seven runs on five hits as 11 batters came to the plate.  Shane Adler doubled down the right field line to start the inning and advanced to third on Travis Buxton-Verstegen's bunt single.  After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Nic Barnes drew a walk to load the bases.  Carter Hoffman then pinch-ran for Barnes.  Cordova's fielder's choice scored Adler to give the Eagles a 5-4 lead as Cordova beat the throw to first base on a potential inning ending double play.  Kohlwey followed with a two-run triple making it 7-4 scoring Buxton-Verstegen and Cordova.  After Anderson walked and Morgan was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, Bryce Barsness doubled to center field scoring Kohlwey, Andeson and Morgan to make it 10-4. After a Coe (Iowa) pitching change, Adler singled home Barsness for a 11-4 lead.

The Eagles added two more runs in the seventh on Cordova's sacrifice fly to score Joel Zyhowski and Kohlwey's solo home run.  Morgan's solo home run in the eighth and Seth Feldman's sacrifice fly to score Hoffman in the ninth completed the scoring.

Caleb Boushley (5-1) earned the win for UW-L, going 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs and one walk with four strikeouts.  Jake Stern went 2.0 innings, allowing three hits while striking out three.

The Eagles finished with 18 hits in the contest as five players recorded at least two.  Cordova went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBI while Kohlwey finished 4-for-5 with four runs and four RBI.  Adler went 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI while Anderson finished 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and Buxton-Verstegen went 2-for-5 with a run.  Morgan had two runs and two RBI while Barsness finished with three RBI.

Anderson, Boushley, Cordova, Kohlwey, Morgan and Jameson Sadowske were named to the All-Midwest Region Tournament Team.  Kohlwey was also selected the Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player after hitting .667 (18-of-27) with 12 runs scored and six extra-base hits (four doubles, one triple, one home run) in six games.

Cal Kragenbrink (3-3) took the loss for Coe (Iowa), giving up seven runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.  Starter AJ Reuter went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits with a strikeout.  Reuter was also 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and two RBI for the Kohawks.  Goerdt and Hoffman each finished 2-for-4 with a run scored with Reuter adding two RBI.  Heckenberg had two RBI.

Goerdt, Hoffmann, Reuter and Craig Konrardy were named to the All-Midwest Region Tournament Team representing Coe (Iowa).  Michael Polcyn from Ripon College (Wis.) also earned all-region honors. 

UW-L returns to action Friday, May 22 versus Salisbury University (Md.) at 7:45 p.m. at the NCAA Division III Championship in Appleton, Wisconsin.  The tournament runs through Wednesday, May 27 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.