Pella, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team fell 3-2 to Lake Forest College (Ill.) in the winner's bracket at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Regional Saturday at the Kuyper Athletic Complex. The Eagles are now 26-18 and will play in an elimination game on Saturday at 4 p.m. versus the winner of The College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) and Central College (Iowa). 

Lake Forest (Ill.) improves to 25-16 and advances to the regional championship game Sunday, May 12 at 1 p.m.

All five runs in the game were scored in the seventh inning Saturday. Lake Forest (Ill.) left two runners on base in the first and third inning, but could not score against UWL starter Maddie Muelken. The Foresters left six runners on base through the first six innings while the Eagles left two. 

UWL scored in the top of the seventh. Sydne Shattuck walked to lead-off the inning and advanced to third on a Kendra Leis double. Emily Lyman pinch-ran for Shattuck and Nicole Trussoni ran for Leis. Stephanie Cole's sacrifice fly scored Lyman with the game's first run and Katie Block followed with a sacrifice bunt to score Trussoni for a 2-0 lead. 

Riley Frisbie reached on a UWL error to start the bottom of the seventh for Lake Forest (Ill.). Erin Karasewski pinch-ran for Frisbie and moved to third on Hannah Kalnicky's double. Josie Klein came into pinch-run for Kalnicky. Sydney Wyatt then doubled to score both runners to tie the game, 2-2. Wyatt advanced to third on a groundout and pinch-hitter Hailey Boylan struck out for the second out of the inning. Alyssa Grimm then singled in the winning run to score Wyatt.

Muelken (8-6) took the loss for UWL, going 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks with three strikeouts. The Eagles finished with four hits as Emily Knight went 2-for-2. 

Missy Dieckman-Meyer (9-8) earned the win for Lake Forest (Ill.), pitching 1.0 inning. Kyra Lenzl started for the Foresters, going 6.0 innings, allowing four hits, two runs and one walk while striking out one. Lake Forest (Ill.) totaled seven hits with Maria Zepeda going 2-for-4.

UWL is making its sixth career appearance in the NCAA III Championships, including fifth under 14th-year head coach Chris Helixon.  The Eagles hosted the NCAA III Regional in 2017, finishing 2-2.  UWL went 0-2 in the 2009 regional at Simpson College (Iowa), 2-2 in 2010 at UW-Whitewater and 1-2 in 2011 at UW-Eau Claire.  UWL's first appearance in the national tournament was in 1986 when the team finished 2-2 at the UW-Whitewater Regional.