UW-L Finishes Regular Season with Doubleheader Sweep

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

La Crosse, Wis. – The UW-La Crosse softball team wrapped up its regular-season with a doubleheader sweep of St. Mary’s University (Minn.) Wednesday afternoon at North Campus Field. The Eagles took the opener, 3-2, and the nightcap, 6-0.

UW-L improves to 30-10 on the season while St. Mary's drops to 18-22.

In the opener, Heather Schultz (14-7) picked up the win, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out three.

UW-L took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Natalie Stoll had a two-run single to score Rachel Croak and Jenna Ahnen. Kelsey Golackson followed with an RBI single to knock in Katie Keyes. St. Mary’s cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second as Danielle Geske stole home.

Schultz retired the next 14 batters before Katy Gannon’s triple to open the top of the seventh. Gannon scored on a Mallory Betzold groundout to cut the lead to 3-2. Geske then singled and after Jessica Sharpe flied out to centerfield, St. Mary’s Jaci Prondzinski had a pinch-hit single to put runners on first and second. Schultz retired Joanna Mangan on a pop out to third base to end the game.

Croak, Stoll and Golackson finished with two hits each for UW-L.

Betzold (11-15) suffered the loss for St. Mary’s, going 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs and two walks with three strikeouts. Geske had two hits for the Cardinals.

In the nightcap, UW-L recorded its 11th shutout of the season. Kaylyn Von Glahn (11-2) earned the complete-game victory, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The Eagles scored four times in the bottom of the first, including three unearned runs. Cara Salm had an RBI single to score Croak, Rachel Weyer came in on a Cardinals' fielding error and Katie Pietrowiak walked with the bases-loaded to score Ahnen. Lena Long then singled to knock in Salm.

UW-L tallied twice in the bottom of the fourth as Weyer hit an RBI double to score Croak and Salm had a run-scoring single to score Weyer.

Croak, Weyer and Salm each had two hits for the Eagles with Croak and Weyer scoring two runs each. Salm finished with two RBI.

Prondzinski (5-6) took the loss for the Cardinals, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing nine hits, six runs (three earned) and two walks while striking out two. Betzold was 2-for-3 at the plate.

UW-L returns to action Friday, May 1 at the WIAC Tournament at UW-Superior. The Eagles, the second seed, will face seventh-seeded UW-Stevens Point at 10 a.m. in the double-elimination tournament.