Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team swept a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader with UW-Stevens Point Sunday afternoon at Madison College's Robert Goodman Field. The Eagles took the opener, 6-5, and the nightcap, 11-6.
UWL improves to 15-8 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC while UW-Stevens Point drops to 15-9 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first in the opener as
Kendra Leis singled with two outs and scored on
Hailey Jibben's double. UW-Stevens Point tied it in the bottom of the inning on Maddie Candre's single and Meg Lawrence's run-scoring triple.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
Kyra Lard doubled to start the inning and scored on
Jordyn McCormack's single to give UWL a 2-1 lead. McCormack later scored on
Ellie Yaeger's fielder's choice for a 3-1 lead.
Kendra Leis had the game-winning hit in the opener.
The Pointers regained the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Rachel Baker's double scored Becca Geiyer and Sara Traxel to force a 3-3 tie. Abby Van Beek came in on Makenna Tkach's RBI groundout to give UW-Stevens Point a 4-3 lead and Emmie Cibrario's run-scoring single scored Baker to make it 5-3.
UWL scored three runs in the top of the sixth, all coming with two outs.
Anna Jensen singled to start the inning and later scored on Lard's RBI double to cut the lead ot 5-4. McCormack tied the game with an RBI single to knock in Lard and Leis followed with a run-scoring double brought McCormack in to give the Eagles a 6-5 lead.
Remington Stark (3-2) picked up the win for UWL, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing two walks while striking out three. The Eagles totaled 13 hits in the opener with Leis finishing 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Lard, McCormack and Jensen each went 2-for-4 while Jibben was 2-for-3.
Makenna Tkach (4-2) suffered the loss for UW-Stevens Point. She went 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, three runs and one walk with two strikeouts. Five different players had a hit for the Pointers.
In the nightcap, UWL scored four times in the top of the first inning. McCormack tripled with one out and scored after
Kendra Leis reached on a UW-Stevens Point fielding error. Jibben followed with an RBI double to score Leis to make it 2-0. The Eagles added two more unearned runs on a fielding error. The Eagles made it 10-0 with six runs in the third.
Emily Lyman scored on a fielding error followed by McCormack's three-run double and Leis' two-run home run.
UW-Stevens Point scored four runs in the bottom of the third, including three unearned after two UWL errors. Lard's double scored
Megan Scheidt in the top of the fifth to give the Eagles an 11-4 lead. UW-Stevens Point tallied two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Stark (4-2) also earned the win in the nightcap, going 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk with three strikeouts. UWL finished with 14 hits as McCormack went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Scheidt finished 3-for-4 with two runs. Jibben and
Madi O'Brien each had two hits.
Tkach (4-3) took the loss in the second game as well, pitching 1.1 innings. She allowed five hits, four runs (one earned) and two walks while striking out two. The Pointers had six hits with Jesse Klicker and Van Beek each finishing with two.
UWL returns to action Tuesday, April 19 at UW-Oshkosh at 2 p.m.
