Waverly, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team dropped a pair of 3-2 games at Wartburg College (Iowa) Thursday afternoon. The first was nine innings. The Eagles are now 13-9 on the season while the Knights are 8-8.
 
In game one, UWL would get a lead-off single from Brooke Howard, but left the bases loaded. In the bottom of the fourth, Wartburg (Iowa) loaded the bases on back-to-back singles followed by a walk without any outs, but Madi Lee retired the next three batters to leave the game scoreless.
 
The game remained scoreless until the top of the seventh when Ava Jaehnke hit a solo home run to give UWL a 1-0 lead. Wartburg (Iowa) tied the game in the bottom half of the seventh on Carly Breda's sacrifice fly to knock in Addy Wells and send the game to extra innings.
 
After UWL was retired in order in the top of the eighth, Wartburg (Iowa) got a leadoff walk from Sydney Fellows, but the Eagles' Lindsay Steien recorded an unassisted double play and the Knights' ended the inning with a fly out.

 
With two outs in the top of the ninth, the UWL's Amber Gonzalez walked and scored on Jaehnke's RBI double to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead. It was the third hit of the game for Jaehnke.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, a lead-off walk by Bella Mudler followed by a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt, put her on third with one out. Ally Happ reached on a fielder's choice bunt scoring Mudler to the game. Riley Feeley followed with a fly-out to right field for the second out, but Happ came around to score the game-winning run after UWL was called for interference at third base.
 
Kaeley Niemiec (5-2) suffered the loss UWL, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) while walking two. Lee went 7.0 innings, giving up one earned run, four hits and two walks while striking out five. Jaehnke led UWL, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
 
Hannah Luellen (3-5) picked up the win for Wartburg (Iowa). She pitched a complete game, going 9.0 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and two walks with four strikeouts. Fellows went 2-for-3 with a walk.
 
The nightcap remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Gonzalez delivered a two-run single scoring Steien and Jaehnke to give UWL a 2-0 lead. Wartburg (Iowa) cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth on an Addy Wells' single scoring Liz Kruckenberg.
 
The Eagles stranded the bases loaded in the top of the seventh on two walks and a single by Howard. The Knights rallied in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs. Feeley opened the inning with a single, advanced to second on Happ's sacrifice bunt and scored the game's tying run on a Fellows' single. Reagan Hassel followed with a single to put runners on first and second. After a pitching change, Niemiec struck out Bredar for the second out. Luellen walked to load the bases and Mulder's single to centerfield scored Fellows with the winning run.
 
Carmen Follette (2-4) suffered the loss for UWL, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing three runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out five. Niemiec went 0.1 of an inning, giving up one hit and one walk. Four players recorded a hit in the game for the Eagles.
 
Haile Frost (1-0) earned the victory for Wartburg (Iowa), pitching 1.0 innings, allowing one hit and one walk. Avery Mull started for the Knights, going 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, two runs and three walks with four strikeouts. Mulder and Wells each went 2-for-3.
 
UWL returns to action Friday, March 28 hosting MSOE (Wis.) in its home opener. Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. at North Campus Field.