Clermont, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team opened its spring trip with a split Saturday afternoon. The Eagles earned an 18-2 win in five innings over Edgewood College (Wis.) before falling, 9-0 in five innings, to Simpson College (Iowa).
 
UWL is now 7-3 on the season.
 
In the win over Edgewood (Wis.), UWL scored six runs in the bottom of the first. Kyra Lard got the scoring started with a two-run home run. Maddy Bornbach later singled to score Marissa Pease to make it 3-0. In the next at-bat, Josie Flom singled and advanced on the error to score two runs. Aliyah Langrehr later grounded out to score Flom to finish the scoring.
 
Lily Mabs would get the scoring started for Edgewood (Wis.) with a ground out to score Natalie Fields to make it 6-1 in the top of the second.
 
UWL responded in the bottom of the second with eight runs. Pease doubled to score Abbey Bosch making it 7-1. Bosch then singled knocking in Pease for an 8-1 lead. Flom's single extended the lead to 9-1 and Amber Gonzalez was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to score another run. Brooke Howard added a two-run single.
 
Edgewood (Wis.) would get one back in the top of the third with a throwing error to make it 14-2. Gonzalez reached a fielding error scoring two runs to make it 16-2 after three innings.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Nicole Zoellner doubled scoring Lindsey Steien to make it 17-2. Maddy Bornbach would get her fourth hit scoring Zoellner to make it 18-2.
 
Kaeley Niemiec (1-1) earned the win. She pitched 1.0 inning giving up one unearned run with one strikeout. Brynne Bieri started for the Eagles, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing one unearned run and two hits with one strikeout. Claire Springer pitched 2.0 frames.
 
Bornbach led the Eagles, going 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Bosch finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Flom was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Lard went 1-for-1 with two walks and a two-run home run. Howard and Pease each went 2-for-3.
 
Edgewood's (Wis.) Tatum Duff (0-1) picked up the loss. She went 1.0 inning, giving up six runs (five earned). Allie Draper went 2-for-3.
 
Simpson (Iowa) would strike first with an RBI triple from Mackenzie James knocking in Megan Heidelbauer to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the first.
 
UWL left the bases loaded in the top of the second and Heidelbauer's three-run triple in the bottom of the inning gave Simpson (Iowa) a 4-0 lead. The Storm scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Carmen Follette (2-1) suffered the loss, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing nine hits and nine runs (eight earned) with two strikeouts.
 
Bornbach, Bosch, Flom, and Langrehr each had one hit in the game.
 
Emma LaFave (2-0) pitched a complete-game shutout for the Storm. She recorded six strikeouts with four hits and three walk. Heidelbauer went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Mackenzie James finished 2-for-3 with one run and RBI.
 
UWL returns to action Sunday, March 16 against Coe College (Iowa) at 8 a.m. (Central) and The College of Wooster (Ohio) at 10:30 a.m.