Tucson, Ariz. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a pair of shutout victories Friday at the Tucson Invitational, defeating the University of Dubuque (Iowa) by the score of 6-0 and Hood College (Md.) by the score of 11-0 in five innings. The Eagles improve to 5-7 on the season and extend their winning streak to four.

Maddie Muelken (2-0) and Katie Klein combined on the shutout in the win over Dubuque (Iowa).  Muelken (2-0) earned the win, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits while striking out three.  Klein went 1.0 inning, allowing one hit with two strikeouts.

UWL took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of unearned runs as Brittany Baldwin and Mia Schmidtke scored on a error.  The game remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth when the Eagles added a pair of runs.  Baldwin doubled with one out and scored on Schmidtke's two-run home run. UWL finished the scoring with two runs in the sixth inning.  Sydney Murphy's single scored Maddy Kromke to make it 5-0 and Dani Mestelle scored on a Dubuque (Iowa) error for a 6-0 lead.

UWL finished with eight hits in the game with Baldwin going 3-for-3 with two runs.  Schmidtke finished 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.

Four different players recorded a hit for Dubuque (Iowa).  The Spartans did not advance a runner past second base in the game. Taylor Blair suffered the loss for Dubuque (Iowa), going 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs (three earned) and one walk with one strikeout.

Caitlyn Hughes (2-4) had the complete-game shutout versus Hood (Md.). She went 5.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four.

UWL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Baldwin had a bunt single to start the inning and stole second. Murphy followed with an RBI single to open the scoring. The Eagles scored twice in the second and third innings to lead 5-0.  Sarah Stewart and Murphy had run-scoring singles in the bottom of the second while Stewart recorded a two-run double in the third.

UWL scored six times in the fourth inning. Schmidtke had an RBI on a fielder's choice while Mestelle and Morgan Harbort each had an RBI single.  Stewart then added a three-run home run.

The Eagles had 13 hits with Stewart finishing 3-for-3 with two runs and six RBI.  The six RBI is tied for third in single-game school history.  Rochell Vandenangenberg (April 14, 1994) and Beth Gordon (April 13, 2001) each had school record seven RBI. Baldwin, Murphy, Grace Mindrup  and Harbort each had two hits Friday. Harbort scored three runs.

Hood (Md.) had two players with a hit. Sophia Leaman (3-2) suffered the loss for the Blazers, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs (two earned) while striking out four.

UWL returns to action Saturday, March 17 facing Buena Vista University (Iowa) in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. (Central).