Whitewater, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a 6-2 victory over UW-Eau Claire Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament (presented by Culver's) at UW-Whitewater's van Steenderen Softball Complex. With the win, third-seeded UWL improves to 25-13 and advances to face second-seeded UW-Oshkosh Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Sixth-seeded UW-Eau Claire drops to 17-18 on the season will play Friday, May 12 at 9 a.m. versus fifth-seeded UW-Stevens Point in an elimination game.

The Blugolds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Thursday. Haley Lamberson reached on an error to start the inning and went to second on Salena Jeanson's single. Megan Patterson followed with a single to load the bases. Lamberson then scored on Paige Lathrop's sacrifice fly for the first run of the game. UWL got out of the inning with Elise Weinzierl striking out Emma Raikowski and Jeanson caught stealing at third for a double play.  

The Eagles responded in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Marissa Pease led-off with a double and advanced to third on Anna Jensen's sacrifice bunt. Pease then scored on Maddi O'Brien's RBI groundout.  

UWL took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the fourth. Pease led-off the inning with her second double of the game and was replaced by pinch-runner Isabel Queenan, who scored on a UW-Eau Claire throwing error on Jensen's second sacrifice bunt of the game to give UWL a 2-1 lead. Jordan Schultz singled with one out to advance Jensen to third. Mariah Wick's sacrifice bunt scored Jensen for a 3-1 advantage Megan Scheidt's infield single knocked in Schultz for a 4-1 lead. 

UW-Eau Claire cut the deficit to 4-2 in the top of the fifth. Lathrop scored on UWL's third error of the inning to make it a two-run game. 

UWL got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Pease singled to start the inning and went to second on Jensen's single. O'Brien's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners into scoring position and Pease came in on Schultz' RBI groundout for a 5-2 lead. The Eagles added to the lead in the sixth when Jordyn McCormack doubled with one out and, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jensen's two-out single. 

Weinzierl (11-6) earned the complete-game victory, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out two. UWL finished with 12 hits as Pease went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs while Scheidt finished 3-for-3 with an RBI. 

Madi Zerr (4-9) took the loss for UW-Eau Claire, going 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and four runs with one strikeout. The Blugolds totaled seven hits as Jeanson went 2-for-2.