UW-L Eliminated from NCAA Tournament with Loss to St. Thomas

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 8, 2009

Indianola, Iowa – The UW-La Crosse softball team was eliminated from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament Friday afternoon with a 5-3 loss to the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) at Simpson College in Indianola.

The Tommies, the regional's top-seed, will play at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9. St. Thomas is now 40-5 while fifth-seeded UW-L finishes its season with a school record 34 victories (34-12).

UW-L took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Cara Salm opened the inning with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Rebecca Brandt. Katie Keyes then reached on a St. Thomas error to move Brandt to second base. Natalie Stoll sacrificed both runners into scoring position before Kelsey Golackson reached on a fielder's choice with Keyes advancing to third and Brandt thrown out at home. Katie Pietrowiak then hit a three-run two-out home run to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.

St. Thomas, ranked second in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, took a 4-3 lead with four runs in the top of the fourth. Steph Moores had an RBI double to score Missy Bruggeman to make it 3-1 and Morgan Betker followed with a three-run home run.

The Tommies added a run in the top of the seventh on Bruggeman's RBI double. UW-L's final 12 batters of the game were retired in order.

Heather Schultz suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits, five runs and one walk while striking out one. Kaylyn Von Glahn retired the only batter she faced.

The Eagles were held to three hits, one each from Pietrowiak, Keyes and Jenna Ahnen.

Marta Radcliffe earned the win for St. Thomas, going 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk with four strikeouts. Bruggeman, Alison Wright and Moores each had two hits for the Tommies while Betker had three RBI.

UW-L was making its second appearance in school history in the NCAA III Tournament. The Eagles went 2-2 in the 1986 regional round.