La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team opened its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season with a doubleheader split with nationally-ranked UW-Whitewater Friday afternoon at North Campus Field.
UW-Whitewater, ranked 17th on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/Gorout NCAA Division III Poll, won the opener, 7-0, on Friday before UWL came back to win the nightcap, 5-3.
The Eagles are 16-9 overall and 1-1 in the WIAC while the Warhawks are 16-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Brooke Howard had four assists and two putouts in the doubleheader.
Joise Hammen (8-2) earned the complete-game victory for UW-Whitewater in the opener. She pitched 7.0 innings, allowing three hits while striking out nine.
The Warhawks scored three times in the top of the first. Grace Grabowy's single knocked in Dani Peshia with the game's first run. Emma Giese scored on Maggie Ward's infield single to make it 2-0 and Grabowy came in on an Eagles' error for a 3-0 lead.
UW-Whitewater added solo tallies in the fourth and fifth innings. Kaitlyn Weidemann had an RBI single in the fourth while Grabowy added a run-scoring ground out in the fifth. Giese drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth while Rachel Radish scored on a wild pitch for a 7-0 lead.
UWL finished with three hits with
Brooke Howard going 2-for-3.
Chloe Brown went 1-for-2.
Kaeley Niemiec (4-1) suffered the loss, pitching 4.0 innings, allowing three hits, four runs (three earned) and four walks with one strikeout.
Claire Springer went 1.2 innings, allowing four hits and three runs with one strikeout.
Bree Holmes pitched the final 1.1 with two walks.
Seven different players recorded a hit for UW-Whitewater with Grabowy finishing with two RBI.
Carmen Follette (6-2) picked up the complete-game victory in the nightcap for UWL. She went 7.0 innings, allowing five hits, three runs and one walk with six strikeouts.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Lindsey Steien led-off with a single and stole second with one out.
Josie Flom walked and after a foul-out,
Amber Gonzalez delivered an RBI single to score Steien.Â
Ava Jaehnke's three-run home run gave UWL a 4-3 lead in the nightcap.
UW-Whitewater responded in the top of the second on doubles from Grabowy and Auburn Roberson to tie the game at 1-1. The Warhawks took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth on Ward's RBI triple and Roberson's sacrifice fly.
UWL took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Gonzalez and pinch-hitter
Aliyah Langrehr singled to start the inning. Brown's sacrifice bunt advanced Gonzalez to third and pinch-runner
Laci Heppell to second.
Ava Jaehnke followed with a three-run home run on the 10th pitch of the at-bat to give UWL a 4-3 advantage. Two-out doubles from
Marissa Pease and Gonzalez in the bottom of the fifth extended the Eagles' lead to 5-3.
Follette retired 11 of the final 12 batters of the game.
UWL had nine hits in the nightcap with Gonzalez going 3-for-3 with two RBI. Jaehnke went 2-for-3 with three RBI while Steien finished 2-for-4.
Madi DeBennette (4-3) took the loss for UW-Whitewater. She pitched 4.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs and one walk with two strikeouts.
The Warhawks had five hits with Bella Eggert finishing 2-for-3. Roberson had two RBI.
UWL returns to action Wednesday, April 15 at 16th-ranked UW-Oshkosh at 2 p.m.
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