St. Joseph, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned its first win of the season Saturday, splitting a doubleheader at College of Saint Benedict (Minn.).  The Bennies earned a 5-3 win in the opener while the Eagles took the nightcap, 10-5.  UWL is now 1-3 on the season while Saint Benedict (Minn.) is 1-1. 

Each team scored twice in the first inning.  UWL's Sabrina Scardamaglia scored in the top of the inning on Katie Block's bases-loaded single to make it 1-0. Jordyn McCormack drew a bases-loaded walk to score Nicole Trussoni and give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Saint Benedict (Minn.) came right back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game with two unearned runs on Hannah Sundem's two-run single knocking in Bryn Carlstrom and Jordyn Swoboda. 

Scardamaglia's solo home run in the top of the second gave UWL a 3-2 lead, but Saint Benedict (Minn.) tied the game in the bottom of the inning with Katie Carlson coming in on Gabby Spencer's sacrifice fly. The game remained tied before the Bennies scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs in the bottom of the sixth as Lexi Hanson's two-run double scored Lizzy Walker and Sundem.  

The Eagles got their first two runners on base in the top of the seventh, but failed to score. 

UWL totaled six hits in the opener with Kendra Leis finishing 2-for-4.  Scardamaglia scored twice and drew a pair of walks along with her solo home run. Maddie Muelken (0-2) suffered the loss for the Eagles, going 6.0 innings, allowing nine hits and five runs (three earned). 

Saint Benedict (Minn.) finished with nine hits in the opener as Sundem and Hanson each went 2-for-3. Elly Novak (1-0) earned the victory for the Bennies, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and four walks while striking out 15. 

In the nightcap, Saint Benedict (Minn.) took a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first with an unearned run as Spencer scored on Swoboda's sacrifice fly. UWL tallied twice in the top of the third on Scardamaglia's RBI groundout and Mia Schmidtke's run-scoring single. The Bennies took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Carlson's solo home run tied the game while Saint Benedict (Minn.) took the lead with two unearned runs on a UWL error. 

The Eagles regained the lead with four runs on five hits and one Saint Benedict (Minn.) error in the top of the sixth. Kenzie Goethel scored an unearned run on a Kendra Leis single to cut the lead to 4-3. Allison Oster's two-run two-out double scored McCormack and Block to give UWL a 5-4 lead. Emily Knight's two-out single later scored Muelken to make it 6-4. 

Carlson's second home run of the game cut the lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth for Saint Benedict (Minn.), but UWL scored four runs on five hits in the top of the seventh. Schmidtke delivered a two-run home run scoring Scardamaglia for an 8-5 advantage. Oster later singled to knock in Leis and Lauren Kidd with two outs to finish the scoring.

UWL finished with 12 hits in the nightcap as Schmidtke went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Oster and Leis each finished 2-for-4 with Oster recording four RBI and Leis scoring once. Scardamaglia went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Sydne Shattuck (1-0) earned the victory, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, four runs (one earned) and one walk with three strikeouts. 

Saint Benedict (Minn.) had seven hits with Carlson and Sundem each finishing 2-for-3. Ally Hjort (1-0) took the loss, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs (four earned) and two walks with nine strikeouts.

UWL returns to action Saturday, March 20 at Augustana College (Ill.) at 3 p.m.