Box Score La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team fell 4-2 to UW-Oshkosh Saturday in Game 3 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III La Crosse, Wisconsin Regional at North Campus Field. The Eagles fall to 29-15 on the season while the Titans improve to 32-11.
UWL, ranked 24th on this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, will play the winner of Benedictine University (Ill.) and St. Norbert College (Wis.) in an elimination game at 4 p.m. UW-Oshkosh advances to the championship game, scheduled for noon Sunday, May 14. UW-Oshkosh would have to be defeated twice Sunday.
UW-Oshkosh took the lead in the bottom of the third inning Saturday versus UWL. Emma Fionda reached on an error, followed by back-to-back walks to Natalie Dudek and Abby Menting to load the bases. Kaitlyn Krol singled up the middle, driving in Fionda and Dudek to make it 2-0.
Katie Klein came on in relief of
Caitlyn Hughes for UWL, and after recording two outs, Amanda McIlhany singled to centerfield for the Titans and Krol scored after a throw home was in the dirt and got past the catcher to give UW-Oshkosh a 3-0 lead.
UWL got two runs back in the top of the fourth with the help of two errors. With the bases loaded,
Ally Perdue hit a grounder up the middle that could have ended the inning, but the second baseman dropped the throw for the force at second, and
Stephanie Cole and
Ashley Lindstrom scored for the Eagles to cut the lead to 3-2.
UW-Oshkosh added a run in the fifth on a Erika Berry double to center, driving in Claire Petrus to make it 4-2.
Hughes (10-6) took the loss for UWL, giving up three runs (one earned) in 2.0 innings. She struck out two and walked four batters.
Grace Mindrup was 2-for-2 for the Eagles, also drawing a walk.
Bailey Smaney (7-1) picked up the win for UW-Oshkosh, giving up two unearned runs on two hits in 4.0 innings of work. She struck out one and walked a batter. Sara Brunlieb earned her second save of the season, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing two hits while striking out two. Krol went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while Petrus finished 2-for-3 with one run for the Titans.
Coach Helixon post game comments
Student-Athlete post game comments
Coach Beyer post game comments
Student-Athlete post game comments
