Tucson, Ariz. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a pair of victories at the Tucson Invitational Saturday afternoon to improve to 13-3 on the season.  The Eagles earned a 10-4 win over 22nd-ranked Central College (Iowa) and a 6-5 victory over Hamline University (Minn.). Central (Iowa) is ranked 22nd on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll.

UWL improved to 11-1 on its current spring break schedule with Saturday's victories.

Versus Central (Iowa), UWL scored seven runs over the first three innings. The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Ashley Lindstrom's two-run single to knock in Brittany Baldwin and Sydney Murphy.  UWL added four runs in the second with all four coming with two outs. Jenny Gallagher and Murphy scored on Lindstrom's single to make it 4-0. Sarah Mueller and Kathryn Vander Schaaf added run-scoring singles for a 6-0 lead. Stephanie Cole's single in the top of the third gave UWL a 7-0 advantage.

Central (Iowa) cut the lead to 7-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, but UWL responded with a run in the top of the fifth on Katie Klein's solo home run to make it 8-2. The Eagles added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on Grace Mindrup's RBI double and Lindstrom's run-scoring single. Central (Iowa) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to finish the scoring.

Eight of nine UWL starters recorded at least one hit as the team finished with 13 overall. Lindstrom went 3-for-5 with one run and five RBI while Baldwin went 2-for-5 with two runs.

Klein (3-2) earned the win, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, two runs and two walks while striking out five.

Hamline (Minn.) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and added two runs in the fourth to lead 3-0.  UWL tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Gallagher's bases-loaded walk and Stephanie Cole's two-run single.

The Eagles took a 5-3 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning on Klein's RBI single and Gallagher's sacrifice fly.

Hamline (Minn.) tied the game in the top of the seventh on a two-run single, but Sarah Mueller started the bottom of the inning with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Haley Gudmudson. Vander Schaaf followed with an RBI double for the walk-off win.

Klein (4-2) also earned the victory versus Hamline (Minn.), going 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) with two strikeouts. UWL had 10 hits with Cole and Lindstrom each finishing with two. Cole also had two RBI.

UWL returns to action Sunday, March 19 wrapping up its spring break trip versus Central (Iowa) at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time) and Hamline (Minn.) at 11 a.m. (Central).