UW-L Advances to WIAC Tournament Championship

For Immediate Release: Saturday, May 2, 2009

Superior, Wis. – The UW-La Crosse softball team advanced to the championship game at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament Saturday afternoon with a 13-2 victory in five innings over UW-Superior at Liebaert Field.

The Eagles, the second seed in the tournament, will face UW-Superior in the championship game at noon Sunday. The eighth-seeded Yellowjackets advanced to the title game with a 9-3 win over UW-River Falls in an elimination contest. UW-Superior must defeat UW-L twice Sunday to claim the tournament championship. If UW-Superior wins the opening game at noon, the teams will play again at 2 p.m.

The winner of the tournament earns the conference's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament scheduled to begin Thursday, May 7. The Eagles are seeking their first conference title in school history.

UW-L, which defeated UW-Stevens Point (3-2) and UW-Oshkosh (4-1) in WIAC Tournament play Friday, is now 33-10 on the season. UW-Superior is 16-19 this year.

The Eagles scored seven runs in the bottom of the first in Saturday's win. Cara Salm had a two-run single to start the scoring and Katie Keyes hit a three-run home run for a 5-0 lead. Lena Long had an RBI on a fielder's choice and Rachel Weyer finished the scoring with an RBI single as UW-L had seven hits in the opening inning. UW-Superior scored a run in the top of the second on Brittany Bloedorn's RBI single, but UW-L added four more runs in the bottom of the second to lead 11-1. Kelsey Golackson had a two-run single, Weyer a sacrifice fly and Katie Pietrowiak scored on a Yellowjackets error.

Ashley Martin hit an RBI single in the top of the third for UW-Superior before Keyes finished the scoring with a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth for UW-L.

Heather Schultz earned the win for UW-L, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out two. Kaylyn Von Glahn went 2.0 innings, allowing one walk with two strikeouts.

Keyes finished 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and five RBI while Rachel Croak, Jenna Ahnen, Salm and Golackson each had two hits. Croak, Ahnen and Golackson each scored twice while Weyer, Salm and Golackson finished with two RBI.

Kally Kucharyski took the loss for UW-Superior, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing nine hits, nine runs (eight earned) and two walks. Martin was 2-for-3 with an RBI.