La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team split a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader with UW-Stout Saturday afternoon at North Campus Field. UW-Stout took the opener, 4-1, before UWL came back to win the nightcap, 3-2. UWL is now 23-11 overall and 7-3 in the WIAC while UW-Stout is 15-15 overall and 4-2 in the conference. 

In the opener, UW-Stout tallied twice in the top of the third with a pair of unearned runs. The Blue Devils made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth with another unearned run coming in on a wild pitch. The Eagles cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth with Stephanie Cole scoring on Grace Mindrup's sacrifice fly. UW-Stout added a run in the top of fifth inning as Beth Wood scored on a wild pitch.

Jessie Carignan (9-3) took the loss for UWL, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs (one earned) and one walk with two strikeouts. Klein went 3.0 innings, allowing two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. UWL was held to six hits with Sarah Mueller going 2-for-3.

Wood (7-5) picked up the win for UW-Stout, going 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and one run while striking out two.

UWL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the nightcap with Brittany Baldwin scoring on Mindrup's sacrifice fly. UW-Stout tied the game in the top of the fifth on Wood's single scoring Kyncaide Diedrich, but UWL responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Cole doubled to start the inning and later scored on Mueller's two-out double. 

The Eagles added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth as Baldwin scored on Cole's single. UW-Stout cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the seventh as Rachel Thomas scored on a UWL throwing error. The Blue Devils had runners on the corners with two outs, but Klein retired Alicia Meyer on a strikeout to end the game.

Caitlyn Hughes (8-4) earned the win for UWL, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, one run and one walk while recording two strikeouts. Klein picked up her seventh save of the season, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one unearned run and one walk with one strikeout. 

UWL had 11 hits with Cole finishing 4-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Baldwin went 3-for-4 with two runs. 

Diedrich (4-2) suffered the loss for UW-Stout, going 6.0 innings, allowing 11 hits, three runs and one walk with one strikeout. The Blue Devils had seven hits with Diedrich and Heather Bol each finishing with two.

UWL returns to action Sunday, April 23 hosting UW-River Falls at 1 p.m.