UW-L Splits WIAC Doubleheader at UW-Oshkosh

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Oshkosh, Wis. – The UW-La Crosse softball team split a WIAC doubleheader at UW-Oshkosh Wednesday afternoon at the Oshkosh Sports Complex. The Titans won the opener, 9-3, before the Eagles came back to take the nightcap, 6-3. UW-L is now 20-13 overall and 6-6 in the WIAC while UW-Oshkosh is 20-8 overall and 10-3 in the conference.

In the opener, the Titans scored twice in the bottom of the first on a Sydnee Wyss two-round double. UW-Oshkosh added five runs in the third, highlighted by two-run singles by Whitney Tornow and Aerial Spang.

UW-L tallied three times in the top of the sixth on Liz Bradley's three-run home run. Mary Buvala and Rachel Croak both singled to score on Bradley's home run. UW-Oshkosh finished the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Heather Schultz (6-5) took the loss for UW-L, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing four hits, seven runs (four earned) and two walks with three strikeouts. Six different players had a hit for the Eagles.

In the nightcap, UW-L earned its 20th win of the season for the first time since 2003 (26-12) with its 6-3 victory. Each team scored a run in the first and second innings. The Eagles' Rachel Weyer scored on a Titans' error in the top of the first and Kelsey Golackson scored on a passed ball in the second. For UW-Oshkosh, Tornow had an RBI double in the bottom of the opening inning and Ashley Steltenphol had a run-scoring single in the second.

The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in the third as Jess Iwanski had an RBI single scoring Jenna Ahnen, but the Titans tied it in the fourth on Steltenphol's solo home run.

Bradley put UW-L ahead 4-3 in the fifth inning on a home run and the Eagles added two more runs in the seventh. Ahnen had a sacrifice fly and Bradley an RBI double.

Iwanski (5-0) earned the win in game two for UW-L, snapping UW-Oshkosh's 10-game winning streak. She went 3.0 innings, allowing three walks with three strikeouts. Shelly Monahan started, going 4.0 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and three walks with three strikeouts.

Bradley finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI while Weyer was 2-for-4 with two runs.

UW-L returns to action Saturday, April 26 at UW-Stout in a doubleheader at 2 p.m.