Clermont, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team concluded its spring break trip with a split of two games Friday. The Eagles, now 13-7 on the season, dropped a 4-3 game in eight innings to fourth-ranked Rowan University (N.J.) before an 8-0 victory in six innings over Kalamazoo College (Mich.).
 
UWL finished 7-5 on its spring trip.
 
UWL took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first versus Rowan (N.J.). Kyra Lard singled with one out and went to second on Abbey Bosch's walk. Maddy Bornbach followed with a two-run double. The game remained 2-0 until the top of the third. Lard led-off with a single and advanced to second on a Bosch single. After an Owls' pitching change, Bornbach's single loaded the bases. The two hitters struck out, but Brooke Howard reached on a fielder's choice to score Lard for a 3-0 lead.
 
Rowan (N.J.), ranked fourth on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Zara MacNair walked to start the inning and went to second on a Liz McCaffery single. Both runners stole a base with MacNair coming on a UWL fielding error to cut the lead to 3-1. Payton MacNair doubled with one out to score McCaffery to make it a one-run game. After a pop out, Breanna Bryant's single scored Payton MacNair to tie the game at 3-3.
 
UWL and Rowan (N.J.) both left runners on base in the seventh inning.
 
Playing the international tiebreaker, Bornbach started on second base for UWL in the top of the eighth. Lindsay Steien singled, but Bornbach was out at second on interference. Marissa Pease grounded into a double play to end the inning.
 
McCaffery started the bottom of the inning on second and went to third on McKenzie Melvin's bunt single. Payton MacNair's sacrifice fly scored McCaffery with the winning run.
 
Brynne Bieri (1-2) recorded the loss for UWL, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out two. Five different pitchers appeared in the game. The Eagles had seven hits with Lard and Bornbach each going 2-for-4. Lard scored twice.
 
Emily McCutcheon (9-0) registered the win for Rowan (N.J.), pitching 6.0 innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts. The Owls finished with six hits with Melvin recording 2-for-4.
 
Versus Kalamazoo (Mich.), UWL scored five times in the bottom of the second. Steien led-off on a throwing error and went to second on Nicole Zoellner's sacrifice bunt. Howard's single scored Steien with the first run with Howard advancing to third on another Hornets' error. Aliyah Langrehr walked and stole second base. Ava Jaehnke's two-run double scored Howard and Langrehr for a 3-0 advantage. Amber Gonzalez single moved Jaehnke to third. Gonzalez stole second with Jaehnke scoring. Lard's single moved Gonzalez to third. Lard stole second and Bornbach walked with two outs while Steien recording an RBI single to score Gonzalez for a 5-0 lead.
 
The Eagles tallied three runs in the bottom of the sixth to record the win. Jaehnke hit a leadoff home run to make it 6-0. Gonzalez singled and went to second on a Bosch single. Bornbach's single loaded the bases and Steinen's two-run single scored Gonzalez and pinch runner Cristin Casey to finish the game.
 
Kaeley Niemiec (5-1) earned the victory, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out three. UWL had 11 hits with Gonzalez, Lard, Steien and Jaehnke each finishing with two. Gonzalez and Jaehnke each scored twice while Steien and Jaehnke had three RBI each.
 
Maddy Vrba (1-1) suffered the loss for Kalamazoo (Mich.), going 5.0 innings while allowing eight hits, seven runs (five earned) and four walks with three strikeouts. The Hornets had a hit from six different players.
 
UWL returns to action Thursday, March 27 at Wartburg College (Iowa) at 3 p.m.