Whitewater, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team fell 2-1 to Aurora University (Ill.) Wednesday night in its first game of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Midwest Regional at Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium on the campus of UW-Whitewater.  The Eagles fall to 33-10 on the season and will play in an elimination game Thursday, May 17 at 1 p.m. versus North Park University (Ill.).  The Spartans improve to 37-8 on the year and advance in the winner's bracket to play The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) Thursday at 7 p.m.

UW-L, seeded second in the regional, had its 10-game winning streak snapped with Wednesday's loss.  The Eagles had won 21 of their last 22 games entering the regional tournament.

UW-L is ranked 12th and Aurora 20th on this week's American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Poll.

Aurora, seeded seventh, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.  Brett VanAsdlen singled to start the inning.  After Cory Walden struck out, the Spartans' Mike Foley hit a ground-out double.  Josh Davidson followed with a two-run single to score VanAsdlen and Foley.  Ryan Payne then singled with Davidson moving to second, but Bobby Wilson hit into a double play to end the inning.

Brooks Braga hit a one-out double in the bottom of the first for UW-L, but Adam Cordova and Jay Fantawere retired to end the inning.  Cole Cefalu had a two-out single in the third before Braga flied out. 

UW-L scored its lone run in the bottom of the sixth.  Braga hit his second double of the game with one out and moved to third on Cordova's single.  Fanta followed with an RBI double to score Braga and put Cordova on third as the Eagles cut the lead to 2-1, but Brett Jacobson and Zach Harazin struck out to end the inning.

Corey Geary had a two-out single in the seventh inning, but Cefalu grounded out to end the frame.  In the eighth, Braga was hit-by-pitch to start the inning, but after Cordova fouled out to the catcher on a bunt attempt, Fanta grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Eagles were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Drew Gay (8-0) pitched the complete-game victory for Aurora.  He went 9.0 innings, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out seven.

Tim Mackey was 3-for-5 for the Spartans.

Tim Verthein (6-5) suffered the loss for UW-L, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing nine hits, two runs and four walks with five strikeouts.  Zach Lauersdorf went 2.1 innings for the Eagles with two strikeouts.

Braga finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored while Fanta was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Cefalu, Cordova and Geary each had one hit for UW-L.