La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader with the University of Dubuque (Iowa) Monday afternoon at North Campus Field.
The Eagles took the opener, 7-5, and the nightcap, 5-2.

UWL improves to 13-8 overall while Dubuque (Iowa) drops to 13-7.

The Eagles tallied three runs in the bottom of the first in the opener. Lindsay Steien tripled with one out. Brooke Howard reached on a fielder's choice bunt and went to second on the play. Steien and Howard both scored on Kasey Brouchoud's fielder's choice bunt and a Dubuque (Iowa) throwing error for a 2-0 lead. Pinch-runner Madadlynn Frederixon later scored on a Josie Flom sacrifice bunt to make it 3-0.

UWL added to its lead with two runs in the second on Howard's single knocking in Chloe Brown and Amber Gonzalez for a 5-0 lead.

Dubuque (Iowa) got on the scoreboard in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 5-2. Payton Santore walked with the bases-loaded and Anna Luczak was hit-by-pitch with the bases-loaded. UWL responded in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 with Laci Heppell stealing second and Brouchoud coming into score.

In the top of the fourth, the Spartans scored three runs to make it 6-5. Amber Wisely scored on an Eagles' fielding error to cut it to 6-3. Zoe Connell later scored on a throwing error to make it 6-4 and Jamie Motley scored on another throwing error to cut the lead to one.

UWL added a run in the bottom of the fifth with Carly Gross scoring on Heppell's sacrifice fly for a 7-5 lead.

Santore walked to lead-off the top of the seventh for Dubuque (Iowa). After a foul out, Megan Leick singled, but Santore was thrown out at home on the play. Wisely ended the game as she reached on a fielder's choice.

Carmen Follette (4-2) earned the win in the opener, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, five runs (one earned) and two walks with eight strikeouts. The Eagles finished with five hits. Flom went 2-for-2 with an RBI while Howard had two RBI. Seven different players scored a run.

Claran Rigby (3-5) suffered the loss for Dubuque (Iowa). She went 6.0 innings, allowing five hits, seven runs (five earned) and four walks while striking out three. The Spartans recorded five hits as Connell went 2-for-3 with two runs. Motley scored twice.

In the nightcap, UWL scored four runs on three hits and one error in the bottom of the first. Steien doubled to lead-off the game and scored on Brouchoud's RBI single to make it 1-0. Brouchoud and Marissa Pease came in as Gonzalez reached on a throwing error of her sacrifice bunt. Flom's sacrifice fly knocked in Gonzalez for a 4-0 lead.
 

Gross came in on a Dubuque (Iowa) throwing error in the second inning to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Spartans scored twice in the fifth on Wisely's single to score Leah Pena and Lauren Jacobs' double to knock in Kaitlyn Powell to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Dubuque (Iowa) stranded a runner in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Kaeley Niemiec (4-0) earned the win in game two for UWL. She pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and two walks with one strikeout. Brooklyn Bigalke picked up her first save, going 2.2 innings, allowing three hits while striking out three. Steien, Brouchoud, Pease, Gonzalez and Gross each had a hit and scored a run for the Eagles.

Skylar Zoeteman (2-2) took the loss for Dubuque (Iowa), pitching 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and five runs (one earned) with two strikeouts. The Spartans totaled nine hits with Wisely going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Powell and Jacobs each finished 2-for-4.

UWL returns to action Thursday, April 2 with a doubleheader at MSOE (Wis.) at 2 p.m.


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