Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Auburndale, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team split a pair of games Friday on its spring trip, earning a 15-9 victory over WIlliam Paterson University (N.J.) while falling 12-1 in seven innings to Benedictine University (Ill.).  The Eagles, ranked fifth on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll, are now 6-4 on the season.  William Paterson (N.J.) is now 9-5 while Benedictine (Ill.) is 3-1.

In its win over William Paterson (N.J.), UWL scored a pair of runs in the top of the first as Joel Zyhowski scored on a wild pitch and Alex Cordova on a William Paterson (N.J.) throwing error.  The Eagles made it 3-0 in the top of the second with Ben Morgan scoring on a Nate Heili RBI double.  UWL added four runs in the top of the third for a 7-0 lead, highlighted by Justin Anderson's three-run home run.  Morgan scored on a passed ball later in the inning.

William Paterson (N.J.) cut the lead to 7-4 with four runs in the bottom of the third as Anthony Hoagland and Jimmy Kenny both drew bases-loaded walks to make it 7-2. Mike Knauf had a sacrifice fly for an RBI and Mike Rowe's RBI single cut it to 7-4.

UWL came right back with four runs in the top of the fourth with Taylor Kohlwey scoring on a wild pitch, Anderson hitting an RBI single, Morgan a sacrifice fly and Travis Buxton-Verstegen an RBI single.  William Paterson (N.J.) tallied three runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut its deficit to 11-7 on RBI from K.C. Abel, Kenny and Eriq Colon.

Both teams scored single runs in the fifth inning as Kohlwey's sacrifice fly scored Sam Prissel for UWL while Hoagland drew another bases-loaded walk for William Paterson (N.J.).  Hehli scored on a Pioneers' error in the top of the ninth to make it 13-8 and back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Kohlwey and Anderson gave the Eagles a 15-8 lead.  Abel's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth for William Paterson (N.J.) finished the scoring.

Nic Pierick (1-0) earned the win for UWL, going 4.1 innings of relief.  He allowed three hits, one run and three walks with three strikeouts. The Eagles totaled 17 hits as all nine starters had at least one.  Anderson finished 3-for-6 with two runs and five RBI while Carter Hoffman went 3-for-6 with a run scored.  Zyhowski, Cordova, Kohlwey and Heili each had two hits with Cordova scoring four runs.  Kohlwey scored three runs and Morgan twice as eight of nine starters had at least one run.

Mike Sasso (0-3) suffered the loss for William Paterson (N.J.), pitching 4.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, 11 runs (six earned) and two walks with one strikeout.  The Pioneers had 11 hits with Abate, Abel, Colon and Tyler Garguilo each finishing with two. Abel, Hoagland and Kenny each had two RBI.

Benedictine (Ill.) taillied eight times in the top of the second in its 12-1 win over UWL.  Dom DeMicco and Kyle Bock opened the scoring with RBI singles while Tanner Kiser later hit a three-run home run.  The Eagles of UWL got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Hoffman's solo home run, but the Eagles of Benedictine (Ill.) scored a run in the fifth, two more in the sixth and one in the seventh. Chayancze Stirbis stole home in the fifth while Nick Severino scored on a passed ball and DeMicco had an RBI triple in the sixth. Kiser drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Lukas Kolasch (0-1) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks with one strikeout. The Eagles were held to six hits as Hoffman finished 2-for-3 with the home run.

Frank Greco (1-0) earned the complete-game victory for Benedictine (Ill.), going 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and one run wiht two strikeouts. The Eagles totaled eight hits as Kiser went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI and DeMicco finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Bock also had two RBI.

UWL wraps up its spring trip Saturday, March 19 facing the University of Southern Maine at 1 p.m. (Central).