UW-W advanced to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament title game with a 4-1 victory over UW-La Crosse in Oshkosh on Sunday. The 'Hawks, 4-1 in the double-elimination tournament, handed La Crosse their first loss of the tournament and the two teams will face off again on Sunday for the WIAC tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Division III softball tournament. UW-W improves to 31-14 while UW-L, ranked 20th in the latest National Fastptich Coaches Association poll, falls to 35-7.
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UW-W scored their first run in the top of the first when Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) reached on a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards).
A single by Courtney Baldwin (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second plated two more and extended UW-W's lead to 3-0.
UW-W pushed their lead to four in the top of the fifth. The scoring sequence started with a Mertes single. Rankins then got hit by a pitch on her elbow and Jacky Bigger (Twin Lakes/Wilmot Union) came in to pinch run for her. LeBeau then singled to load the bases for Lauren Cruz (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West). With two outs, Cruz singled to drive in Mertes but Bigger got thrown out at home on the play to end the inning.
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) pitched another gem, giving up just one run on four hits in the game. Stang has pitched every game for the Warhawks throughout the WIAC tournament. In three games today she has struckout 15 batters and walked none while giving up just one run.
The 'Hawks are now faced with the seemingly impossible task of defeating La Crosse for the second time in a row and winning four consecutive games to capture the WIAC tournament title. Prior to UW-W's victory over the Eagles on Sunday, UW-La Crosse had not lost to a conference opponent all season, capturing the regular season title with an unblemished 16-0 conference record and going 3-0 in the conference tournament. UW-L had also won 21 games in a row and has only lost two in a row once this year, back on April 1 to Gustavus Adolphus. La Crosse swept Whitewater in a doubleheader on April 26 in La Crosse winning game one 3-0, and game two 7-6 in eight innings.
For additional information, Brenda Volk
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