Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MENOMONIE, Wis. - The UW-Whitewater softball team topped UW-La Crosse 5-1 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship to win their second consecutive tournament title and the league's automatic bid into the 2014 NCAA Division III Tournament. This year, the WIAC (regular season) title was also determined by the conference tournament due to a number of schools unable to complete their regular season league schedule. This is Whitewater's ninth WIAC championship in program history and fifth tournament championship. The Warhawks will find out where they will compete in a NCAA regional Monday.

It took two games but the Warhawks got the job done. The Eagles took the first game 5-4 forcing the decisive game two. Each team posted eight hits in the game. Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) led UW-W at the plate in Whitewater's first game of the day going 2-for-3 with two RBI. 

The Warhawks finished game one with a flurry posting two runs on four hits and leaving the bases loaded and picked up where they left off to open game two. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Warhawks got on the board in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Samie Seamon (Antioch, IL/Antioch) tagged a double to left field to bring in one run. Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) followed with a single to second base to put runners on the corners. Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) singled to the shortstop to bring in the second run of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) notched a one-out double to right center. After a pitching change, Laura Eichenold (Elmwood Park, IL/Trinity) singled to right field to score Evangelista to give UW-W a 3-0 lead.

The Warhawks put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth with two insurance runs. Morgan Krisch (Plainfield, IL/Central) led off the inning with a double to right center. Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) made it back-to-back doubles to plate the first run of the inning and was replaced on the base path by Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson). DuCharme advanced to third and scored after two groundouts. 

La Crosse posted their sole run of the game in the top of the sixth with two hits in the inning. Junior righty Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) put the finishing touches on the win sending the Eagles down in order on two strikeouts and a fly out in the top of the seventh.

Ramirez went 3-for-4 to lead UW-W at the plate. Krisch and Ricci each posted two hits as the Warhawk batters combined for 12 hits in the game.

Houda went the distance allowing just five hits while striking out two and walking one in the complete game win. She is 15-4 on the mound this season for UW-W.

The Warhawks will make their 18th appearance and eighth under head coach Brenda Volk  in the NCAA DIII Tournament next week. More information regarding the regional will be posted on www.uwwsports.com as it becomes available.


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