Pella, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team captured the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Pella, Iowa Regional Sunday afternoon with a 10-3 victory over Lake Forest College (Ill.). The Eagles improve to 29-18 on the season and advance to the NCAA Division III Super Regional on May 17-18 versus third-ranked the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). Location and times will be announced as the teams will play a best-of-three series.  

UWL, winning its first regional title in school history, is one of 16 teams advancing from regional competition to the eight super regional sites. The eight teams advancing from super regionals will compete at the finals May 23-28 at Suddenlink Field in Tyler, Texas in a double-elimination tournament.  The final two teams will compete in a best-of-three series to determine the national champion.  

UWL advanced to the second regional title game after a 5-0 victory over Lake Forest (Ill.) earlier on Sunday. 

The Eagles scored a run in each of the first two innings in their 10-3 win over the Foresters. Kendra Leis had an RBI single in the bottom of the first scoring Sabrina Scardamaglia, who had reached on a throwing error to start the game. UWL took a 2-0 lead in the second with Scardamaglia coming on a Mia Schmidtke's RBI single. 

Lake Forest (Ill.) took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth, Maria Zepeda's single scored Erin Karasewski to cut the lead to 2-1. Meghan Joyce scored on Sydney Wyatt's sacrifice fly to tie the game and Zepeda scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.  

UWL came right back in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game on Schmidtke's solo home run, her school record 13th of the season. She also became UWL's career leader in home runs with 21 on Sunday, breaking the record of 20 set by Cara Salm (2007-10).

The Eagles then scored seven runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory. Sydne Shattuck's RBI single scored Nicole Trussoni to give UWL a 4-3 lead. Schmidtke came in on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. Sydney Murphy later hit a three-run single and Trussoni a two-run double. 

Maddie Muelken (9-5) earned the win for UWL, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing four hits with three strikeouts. The Eagles finished with nine hits as Schmidtke and Shattuck each had two. Schmidtke and Scardamaglia each scored twice while Schmidtke and Trussoni each had two RBI. Murphy had a game-high three RBI. 
 

Kyra Lenzl (9-4) suffered the loss for Lake Forest (Ill.), going 5.1 innings, allowing six hits, seven runs (five earned) and three walks while striking out one. The Foresters finished with six hits.

Four UWL players were named to the Pella, Iowa All-Region Tournament Team, including Schmidtke, Caitlyn Hughes, Emily Knight and Kendra Leis. Schmidtke was selected the Most Outstanding Player.

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.