Tucson, Ariz. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team dropped a pair of games to start its spring break Saturday in the Tucson Invitational Games. The Eagles fell, 10-2, to Millikin University (Ill.) before a 10-3 loss to Buena Vista University (Iowa). UWL is now 5-5 on the season.

Millikin (Ill.) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Kalli Farmer single. UWL tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Sydney Murphy scored on a Kendra Leis RBI double. Both teams scored a run in the second with Alyssa White hitting an RBI triple for Millikin (Ill.) while Kathryn Vander Schaaf knocked in Katie Block for UWL after the two started the inning with back-to-back doubles. 

The Big Blue took a 4-2 lead in the top of third on Maggie Comerford's RBI single and Skielyr Trenkle's sacrifice fly. Millikin (Ill.) added six runs in the seventh highlighted by a two-run single from Kailey Lyons. 

Caitlyn Hughes (3-1) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing eight hits, four runs and two walks with one strikeout. Maddie Muelken went 2.0 innings, allowing six hits and six runs (two earned). The Eagles totaled nine hits in the game with Block and Stephanie Cole each finishing with two. 

Rachel Patting (4-1) earned the win for Millikin (Ill.), going 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three. The Big Blue finished with 15 hits as five players recorded at least two. White and Lyons both went 3-for-4 while Kalli Farmer, Kelsey Farmer and Bailey Gowin each had two.

UWL scored a run in each of the first three innings versus Buena Vista (Iowa) to take a 3-0 lead. Leis had an RBI double in the top of the first while Block's solo home run in the second made it 2-0. Sydne Shattuck's RBI double in the third gave UWL a 3-0 advantage. 

Buena Vista (Iowa) cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third on Kayden Archibeque's sacrifice fly. The Beavers took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the fourth on four RBI singles. Ashton Miller's RBI triple in the fifth gave Buena Vista (Iowa) a 6-3 advantage and the Beavers added four runs in the sixth with Kate Lesmeister having a two-run single. 

Five different players had a hit for UWL. Shattuck (2-1) took the loss, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing eight hits, five runs and two walks while striking out two. 

Buena Vista (Iowa) had 16 hits with all nine starters recording at least one. Miller went 3-for-4. Peyton Gross (4-0) earned the win, going 5.0 innings, allowing three hits, three runs and three walks while striking out five. Miller recorded her second save, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts.

UWL returns to action with a pair of games on Sunday, March 17. The Eagles face George Fox University (Ore.) at 11 a.m. (Central) and 15th-ranked Central College (Iowa) at 1 p.m.