La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) doubleheader sweep of 22^nd-ranked UW-Whitewater Saturday afternoon at North Campus Field.  The Eagles took the opener, 3-1, and the nightcap, 3-2.

UWL improves to 19-17 overall and 5-5 in the WIAC while UW-Whitewater falls to 23-7 overall and 6-4 in the conference.

Elise Weinzierl (7-5) earned the complete game victory in Saturday's opener. She went 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and one run with eight strikeouts. 

UW-Whitewater took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Kaitlyn Weidemann singled with one out and went to second on Kiarra Kostroski's ground out. She then scored on Grace Wickman's single.

UWL came right back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs. Brooke Howard led-off with a single and stole second. After a strikeout, Kyra Lard's infield single scored Howard with the game-tying run. Jordyn McCormack reached on a fielder's choice and Abbey Bosch singled with two outs with McCormack going to third. After Bosch stole second, Marissa Pease delivered an RBI single to knock in McCormack to give UWL a 2-1 lead.

The teams combined to strand seven runners over the next five innings.

The contest remained, 2-1, until the bottom of the sixth. Maddy Bornbach singled with one out and replaced by pinch-runner Aliyah Langrehr. Langrehr went to second on a passed ball and scored on Lindsay Steien's RBI triple to extend UWL's lead to 3-1.

UW-Whitewater had a runner reach on an error with one out in the top of the seventh, but Weinzierl retired the final two batters to earn the win.

UWL finished with nine hits in the opener as Howard went 3-for-4 and Bosch 2-for-3.

UW-Whitewater totaled five hits with Wickman finishing 2-for-3. Maddy Anderson (8-2) suffered the loss, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs while striking out five.

In the nightcap, Remington Stark (9-3) earned the complete-game win. She pitched 7.0 innings, allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) and three walks while striking out four.

UW-Whitewater again took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Weidemann reached on a fielding error and later scored on a UWL throwing error.
 

The Eagles rallied in the bottom of the third. Howard singled and stole second. Cristin Casey reached on a fielder's choice and both runners stole a base to get into scoring position. Lard then walked and all three runners scored on McCormack's triple to right-center field. Claire Kohnle's solo home run in the top of the fourth for UW-Whitewater cut the lead to 3-2. The Warhawks had a pair of runners reach base in the top of the seventh. Pinch-hitter Sophia Kinjerski singled with one and was replaced by Maggie Ward. Bella Eggert's sacrifice bunt moved Ward to second. Weidemann singled to put runners on the corners, but Stark got the final out in a fly-ball to third-base.

UWL finished with six hits in the second game with McCormack going 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Rhiann Dick (3-3) took the loss for UW-Whitewater, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits, three runs and one walk with three strikeouts. The Warhawks had five hits with Weidemann going 2-for-4.

UWL returns to action Wednesday, May 1 with a doubleheader at UW-Stout at 4 p.m.