La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of Saint Mary's University (Minn.) Thursday afternoon at North Campus Field in the Eagles' home opener. UWL earned a 6-5 win in the opener with a run in the bottom of the seventh and then picked up a 6-0 victory in the nightcap. UWL improves to 12-8 on the season while Saint Mary's (Minn.) falls to 4-10. 
 

In the opener, UWL took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on solo home runs from Mia Schmidtke and Stephanie Cole. The Eagles took a 4-0 lead in the second on a back-to-back RBI doubles from Kathryn Vander Schaaf and Emily Knight. Saint Mary's (Minn.) cut the lead to 4-3 with three runs in the top of the fifth. Amy Kulaga and Roni Stevens each had RBI singles for the Cardinals while Justine Schultz was hit-by-pitch with the bases-loaded. 

The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the sixth as Erin Sullivan scored an unearned run on Hallie Schmeling's fielder's choice. UWL took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth when pinch-runner Emily Lyman scored on a Saint Mary's (Minn.) fielding error. 

Saint Mary's (Minn.) came back to force a 5-5 tie in the top of the seventh on Sullivan's two-out RBI double to knock in Paige Gudmundson. UWL scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Sydney Murphy singled with one out and advanced to second on Cole's single. Sabrina Scardamaglia came in as a pinch-runner for Murphy, and after a line-out for the second out of the inning, Scardamaglia came in on a Cardinals' fielding error off the bat of Mallorie Segobiano. 

Maddie Muelken (2-3) earned the win for UWL, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk. Caitlyn Hughes started for the Eagles, going 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk while striking out eight. UWL had 10 hits in the opener with Cole finishing 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Schmidtke finished 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. 

Amber Chow (1-5) suffered the loss for Saint Mary's (Minn.), pitching 6.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned) and one strikeout. The Cardinals had eight hits as Sullivan and Kulaga each finished three. 

In the nightcap, Sydne Shattuck (3-3) earned the complete-game win for UWL. She went 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and one walk with four strikeouts. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Scardamaglia scored on Nicole Trussoni's RBI double. Cole's groundout in the third inning scored Schmidtke for a 2-0 advantage.  UWL added a pair of runs in the fourth for a 4-0 lead on Trussoni's infield single and Knight's sacrifice bunt to score a run.  

Katie Block's RBI double in the fifth gave UWL a 5-0 lead while Annalise Devall scored on Schmidtke's sacrifice fly in the sixth after tripling in her first at-bat of the season.

UWL had nine hits in the night cap with Schmidtke, Block, Scardamaglia and Trussoni each finishing with two. 

Amber Trendle (2-5) took the loss for Saint Mary's (Minn.), going 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs (three earned) and two walks while striking out two. Five different players had a hit for the Cardinals in the nightcap.

UWL returns to action Tuesday, April 2 with an exhibition doubleheader at city-rival Viterbo University (Wis.) at 3 p.m.