UW-L Defeats UW-Oshkosh to Advance in WIAC Tournament

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 1, 2009

Superior, Wis. – The UW-La Crosse softball team advanced in the winner's bracket of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament with a 4-1 win over UW-Oshkosh Friday night at UW-Superior. The Eagles, the tournament's second seed, won their opening game, 3-2 over UW-Stevens Point Friday morning. To read more about UW-L's victory over UW-Stevens Point, click here.

UW-L, now 32-10 on the season, advance in the tournament's winner's bracket and will face eighth-seeded UW-Superior Saturday at 1 p.m. The Yellowjackets beat top-seed UW-Whitewater, 12-4, and fifth-seed UW-River Falls, 7-0, to advance to Saturday's game.

The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth in their win over UW-Oshkosh. Lena Long singled with two outs and came in to score on Rachel Croak's two-run home run.

UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of sixth as Whitney Tornow had an RBI double to score Marti Meyer, but UW-L tallied two runs in the top of the seventh. Natalie Stoll opened the seventh with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Rebecca Brandt. After the next two batters were retired, pinch-hitter Kim Pietrowiak earned a walk with Long re-entering as the runner. Croak then singled to knock in Brandt and after Rachel Weyer singled, the Eagles' Jenna Ahnen drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run and make it 4-1.

Kaylyn Von Glahn earned the win for the Eagles, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run and one walk while striking out five. Heather Schultz came in and pitched the seventh inning to pick up the save. She allowed one walk while striking out the side.

Croak finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored while Long went 1-for-2 with two runs.

Lauren Roberts suffered the loss for UW-Oshkosh, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs and two walks with eight strikeouts. Four different players had a hit for the Titans.