Textbook nail biters.  With the teams tied for the lead in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, 11-3 coming in, UW-River Falls edged out 8-7 and 5-4 wins over UW-Whitewater in River Falls Sunday. 

game one box score
The Falcons opened the scoring with a RBI double by Hayley Buchanan.  Lauren Eichenold tied the game for Whitewater with her second home run of the season in the top of the second. 

The Warhawks used an Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) infield single, a Mertes steal, and a single off the bat of Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) to take a 2-1 lead in the third.

That lead increased to 4-1 in the top of the fifth.  With one out, Rankins reached on a Falcon error, and Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South), the number two home run hitter in the WIAC, belted her eighth of the season.

UW-W put what seemed like three insurance runs on the board in the sixth.  The Warhawks went small ball -- four singles, a stolen base, a Falcon error, an intentional walk and a fielder's choice.  Rankins came through with an RBI single in the frame.  Whitewater led 7-1 going into the last of the seventh.

And this is where coaches say "it's never over".  Despite not receiving any help from UW-W, the Warhawks did not yield a walk, throw a wild pitch or commit an error, UW-River Falls tallied seven runs to pull out the victory.  The big blow was a three run homer by Patty Olson, her first of the year. 

Rankins and Jordyn Gaza (Mundelein, IL/Carmel Catholic) had two hits each for the Warhawks, who totaled nine hits.  Olson, Buchanan, Jamie Klein and Jessie Bester all contributed two hits to the Falcon attack.  Klein, 5-6, also picked up the win. 

game two box score
UW-RF tallied first again in game two; this time in the first on a Buchanan single and Ashley Goettl double to left center. 

Whitewater's three consecutive singles, by Eichenold, Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew), and Gaza tied the game in the top of the second.

UW-W went ahead in third.  Two walks issued by Falcon hurler Rose Tusa were followed by the first home run of the season by Rankins giving UW-W a 4-1 lead.

In the bottom of the inning Olson walked and Buchanan drove her in with a double to cut Whitewater's lead to 4-2.

In the last of the fifth, the first four Falcon batters reached base, included two doubles and a Warhawk error, producing three runs that gave UW-RF the lead and the eventual win.

Whitewater scored its four runs on just four hits, no player accounting for more than one.  Buchanan went 3-3 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI's for UW-RF.

UW-Whitewater, seventh in the national Division III poll, is 24-8 overall.  UW-RF is 20-13.

One final round of doubleheaders remain in the WIAC schedule.  UW-RF, 11-3, hosts UW-Oshkosh Tuesday.  Whitewater, 9-5, travels to Menomonie to take on UW-Stout Monday.  UW-La Crosse, at 11-5, has finished their WIAC schedule, and UW-Eau Claire, 9-5, is at UW-Stevens Point Monday.  The top team in the regular season earns the WIAC championship and the top seed in the league tournament, along with home field advantage, May 6-8.  The top six in the regular season earn a berth in the league tourney, with finish in the regular season determining seeds.

For additional information:  Brenda Volk,  UW-W coach