Tucson, Ariz. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team extended its winning streak to eight games with a pair of victories at the Tucson Invitational Wednesday.  The Eagles, now 10-2 on the season, earned a 14-4 victory (6 innings) over Greenville College (Ill.) and a 4-2 win over Eastern Connecticut State University.  UWL's eight-game winning streak is its longest since 2014. The Eagles won a school record 21 straight games in 2010.

UWL finished with 13 hits in its win over Greenville (Ill.) Wednesday.  The Eagles scored two runs in each of the first two innings to lead 4-0. Brittany Baldwin scored the first run of the game on a passed ball in the bottom of the first and Grace Mindrup added an RBI single. UWL got on the board with two unearned runs in the second inning as Greenville (Ill.) committed three errors. The Panthers finished with seven errors in the game.

Jessie Carignan's RBI double in the top of the third scored pinch-runner Megan Andes for a 5-0 lead. Greenville (Ill.) cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third before Kathryn Vander Schaaf's run-scoring single in the top of the fourth brought in Sydney Murphy for UWL.  The Eagles tallied five runs in the top of the fifth to lead 11-2 on Ally Perdue's two-run double and Mindrup's three-run home run.

After the Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, Murphy's three-run double in the top of the sixth gave the Eagles the 14-4 win.

Stephanie Cole finished 3-for-5 with three runs score for UWL while Baldwin and Mindrup each went 2-for-4.  Baldwin scored four times while Mindrup finished with four RBI.

Katie Klein (2-2) earned the win, going 3.1 innings of relief.  She allowed one hit, two runs and two walks while striking out five. Carignan started for the Eagles, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs (both unearned).

Eastern Connecticut State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third versus UWL Wednesday, but the Eagles score four times in the top of the fifth to lead 4-1. Cole's double scored Brooke Baldwin and Andes to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage. Brittany Baldwin scored on Murphy's sacrifice bunt for a 3-1 lead and Ashley Lindstrom's sacrifice fly scored Cole to make it 4-1.

The Warriors cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying runs on base, but Klein retired the final batter on a groundout.

Caitlyn Hughes (5-0) picked up the victory, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and two walks with four strikeouts. Klein earned her fourth save of the season, going 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, one run and two walks while striking out two.

Klein now has 23 career saves, second in NCAA Division III history.  Samantha Pratt (2009-12) of Keene State University (N.H.) is the all-time leader with 24. With her save Wednesday, Klein breaks the second-place tie (22 saves) with Amanda Berard (2009-11) from Rhode Island College and Kristen Rowe (2007-10) from Christopher Newport University (Va.).

Klein has led NCAA III in saves the last two seasons, recording a school record 11 in 2016 and a then school record of eight in 2015.

UWL totaled six hits versus Eastern Connecticut State with Cole finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while Jenny Gallagher went 2-for-3.

UWL returns to action Friday, March 17 facing Trinity University (Texas) at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time) and Dickinson College (Pa.) at 11 a.m. (Mountain Time).