Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team opened its 2016 home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of city-rival Viterbo University (Wis.) Tuesday afternoon at North Campus Field.  The Eagles won the opener, 6-2, and the nightcap, 7-0, to improve to 13-4 on the season.  Viterbo (Wis.) drops to 7-18 with the losses.  UWL, winners of nine of its last 10 games overall, has now won the last six meetings with Viterbo (Wis.).  The teams were meeting for the first time since 2012. 

Playing its first home games in March since 2009, UWL scored two runs in the second inning in Tuesday's opener.  Emilie Wiltzius singled to start the second and advanced to third on Ashley Lindstrom's double.  Sydney Murphy followed with an RBI single to knock in Wiltzius and Lindstrom came in on the play after Viterbo (Wis.) tried to get Murphy out between first and second base. 

UWL last played a home game in March on March 26, 2009, earning a doubleheader sweep of Viterbo (Wis.). 

The Eagles added to their lead in the bottom of the third with Alecia Faber scoring on Murphy's run-scoring single to make it 3-0.  Brooke Baldwin later scored on a wild pitch for a 4-2 lead.  Viterbo (Wis.) cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth with two outs as Sarah Throgmorton singled and scored on Emma Humphrey's home run.  UWL came right back in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-2 advantage with Katrina O'Keefe scoring on Faber's single and Emily Holldorf scoring after Murphy was hit-by-pitch with the bases-loaded. 

Caitlyn Hughes (5-0) earned the win for UWL in Tuesday's opener.  She pitched 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs and one walk while recording three strikeouts.  Heather Grelle picked up her first save of the season, going 1.1 innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. 

UWL totaled 12 hits as four players recorded at least two.  Faber went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI while Holldorf, Wiltzius and Murphy each finished with two hits.  Murphy had three RBI.

Sarah Obert (3-3) took the loss for Viterbo (Wis.), pitching 2.1 innings, allowing eight hits, four runs (three earned) and one walk.  Throgmorton and Humphrey each finished 2-for-3. 

Three UWL pitchers combined on the five-hit shutout in the nightcap Tuesday.  Megan Nelson (2-1) earned the win, going 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and one walk with one strikeout. Jessie Carignan pitched 1.0 inning with one strikeout while Katie Klein went 2.0 innings, allwoing two hits and one walk while striking out three. 

The Eagles tallied four times in the bottom of the third in a scoreless contest.  Brittany Baldwin singled with one out and stole second.  Holldorf and Faber followed with infield singles to load hte bases.  Wiltzius then gave UWL a 2-0 lead with a double to right field scoring Baldwin and Holldorf.   Lindstrom's RBI single scored Faber for a 3-0 advantage and Murphy's sacrifice fly knocked in Wiltzius to make it 4-0. 

UWL added three runs in the bottom of the fourth with Erin Maletzke and O'Keefe both scoring on Holldorf's double down the left field line.  Holldorf later scored on a Viterbo (Wis.) error. 

Eight of nine starters had a hit for the Eagles as the team finished with 13 overall.  Lindstrom went 3-for-3 with an RBI while Holldorf finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.  Wiltzius went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. 

Cailtyn Kozik (0-9) suffered the loss for Viterbo (Wis.), pitching a complete-game.  She went 6.0 innings, allowing 13 hits, seven runs and one walk.  Kelsey Ludwig finished 2-for-3. 

UWL returns to action Friday, April 1 with a doubleheader at Simpson College (Iowa) at 4 p.m.