UW-La Crosse 5, UW-Eau Claire 0

UW-Whitewater 4, UW-La Crosse 1

UW-La Crosse 2, UW-Whitewater 0

Oshkosh, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team earned its second consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament championship with a 2-0 victory over UW-Whitewater Sunday afternoon at the UW-Oshkosh Sports Complex. With the tournament win, the Eagles earn their second straight automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. The NCAA Division III tournament field will be announced Monday, May 10.

UW-L opened play Sunday with a 5-0 victory over UW-Eau Claire to advance to the championship round. The Eagles then fell 4-1 to UW-Whitewater, but came back in the second title game to earn a 2-0 victory over the Warhawks.

UW-L is now 36-7 on the season, setting a single-season school record for victories. The Eagles are ranked 20th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Poll.

Versus UW-Eau Claire, Heather Schultz (21-2) earned the win for UW-L. She pitched 7.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four.

The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the first as Cara Salm hit an RBI single to score Rachel Croak, who had singled to open the inning. UW-L added two runs in the third on RBI singles from Jenna Ahnen and Katie Keyes. The Eagles added runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Croak hit an RBI single in the fourth while Salm hit a solo home run in the fifth.

Salm was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI while Croak finished 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Kelsey Golackson was 2-for-2 at the plate.

UW-Whitewater took a 3-0 lead after two innings in the first meeting with UW-L Sunday. Courtney Baldwin hit a two-run single in the second for the Warhawks. UW-Whitewater added a run in the fifth. UW-L scored its only run on a home run from Natalie Stoll in the bottom of the seventh.

Ashley Veroeven (7-2) suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks with two strikeouts. Stoll was 2-for-3 at the plate with the home run. The loss snapped UW-L's school record 21-game winning streak.

Schultz (22-2) earned the win in the second championship game against UW-Whitewater. She went 7.0 innings, allowing three hits while striking out five.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Croak scored on a Warhawks' throwing error. UW-L made it 2-0 in the third inning as Ahnen scored on another UW-Whitewater throwing error.

Six different players had a hit for UW-L.

UW-L will play in an NCAA Division III Regional May 13-16. The Eagles' opponent, site, date and time will be announced Monday, May 10.