UW-L Splits Twinbill at Luther

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Decorah, Iowa - The UW-La Crosse softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Luther College Wednesday afternoon in Decorah. The Norse took the opener, 8-3, before the Eagles came back to win the nightcap, 9-1.

UW-L is now 26-10 on the season. The 26 wins is one shy of the school record of 27 victories set in 2001. The Eagles also won 26 games in 1999 and 2003. Luther is now 30-6 on the year after Wednesday's split.

In the opener, Luther's Kayla Denner hit a two-out three-run home run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-0. The Norse took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the third on Kelsey Hake's two-run home run and made it 7-0 in the fourth as Kim Hess had an RBI double and Hake a run-scoring single.

The Eagles cut the lead to 7-3 in the top of the fifth on Jenna Ahnen's three-run home run with two outs scoring Rebecca Brandt and Rachel Croak, but the Norse finished the scoring with another RBI single from Hake in the bottom of the sixth.

Heather Schultz (11-7) took the loss for UW-L, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing four hits and five runs while striking out one. Kaylyn Von Glahn, the WIAC Pitcher of the Week, went 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits and three runs with five strikeouts. Ahnen went 2-for-4 with the three-run home run while Croak finished 2-for-3.

BreAnn Van Deer (15-3) earned the victory for Luther, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs with 10 strikeouts. Hake finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI while Hess was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.

In the nightcap, UW-L took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After the first two batters struck out, Ahnen and Cara Salm walked and Katie Keyes reached on a Luther error. Natalie Stoll and Kelsey Golackson were then both hit-by-pitch with the bases-loaded to make it 2-0. Ahnen had a two-run double in the top of the second scoring Croak and Rachel Weyer to make it 4-0. The Norse cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second on a home run from Tiffany Kruse, but the Eagles got the run back in the top of the third on Katie Pietrowiak's solo home run.

UW-L finished the scoring with four runs in the top of the seventh. Stoll had an RBI single to make it 6-1 followed by a two-run double from Croak and run-scoring single from Weyer.

Von Glahn (10-2) picked up the victory for the Eagles, pitching 6.0 innings. She allowed five hits while striking out two. Lacey Probst started for UW-L, going 1.0 inning, allowing one hit, one run and one walk with one strikeout. Croak, Weyer, Ahnen and Pietrowiak each had two hits while Croak, Ahnen and Stoll each finished with two RBI. Croak and Pietrowiak also scored twice.

Kim Lambert (9-3) suffered the loss for Luther, going 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs (five earned) and four walks while striking out six. Jackie Miller and Denner each finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

UW-L returns to action Saturday, April 25 at UW-Superior at 2 p.m.