La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team advanced to the NCAA Division III Baseball Midwest Regional Championship with an 10-3 win over Concordia University-Chicago (Ill.) Saturday afternoon at Copeland Park.  The Eagles improve to 31-13 on the season and will play undefeated Coe College (Iowa) Sunday, May 17 at noon for the title. A second championship would be played at 3:30 p.m. if the Eagles defeat the Kohawks in their first match-up.  Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) finishes its season at 33-15.

Coe (Iowa) earned a 11-5 victory over UW-L Friday, May 15 as the Kohawks advanced to the championship game.

Three consecutive singles in the top of the first resulted in UW-L's first run. Taylor Kohlwey singled with one, advanced to second on Justin Anderson's single and scored on Ben Morgan's single to left.

Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) tied the game in the bottom of the first.  Jeff Von Moser singled to start the game off UW-L's Ben Cejka and advanced to third on a Carlos Olavarria single to center.  Von Moser then scored on a UW-L throwing error as Olavarria attempted to steal second.

UW-L added a run in the top of the second as Joel Zyhowski scored on an Eric Vatch single to center field to make it 2-1 and Morgan added a solo home run to left field in the third inning for a 3-1 lead.  The Eagles added three runs on four hits, all coming with two outs, in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 advantage.  Alex Cordova and Kohlwey hit back-to-back doubles for a 4-1 lead while Anderson's RBI single scored Kohlwey to make it 5-1.  After Morgan walked, Bryce Barsness singled to knock in Anderson and 6-1 lead.

Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) cut the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring two runs on four hits.  Olavarria doubled to open the inning and advanced to third on a Brent Spohr single to center field. Mitch Wilson singled to right driving in Olavarria to make the score 6-2 and Colin Bethran doubled two batters later driving in Spohr to cut the deficit to 6-3.

UW-L extended the margin in the top of the eighth with four runs on four hits.  Kohlwey's single to right scored Travis Buxton-Verstegen for a 7-3 lead.  Vatch scored on Anderson's fielder's choice and Barsness finished the rally with a two-run double knocking in Cordova and Anderson.

Cejka (7-2) earned the win for UW-L, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), 10 hits and two walks while striking out seven.  Logan Mallek went the final 1.1 innings, allowing one walk.

The top-five in the Eagles' line-up finished 13-for 22 with seven runs scored and nine RBI.  Cordova went 3-for-6 with two runs scored while Kohlwey went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.  Anderson finished 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, Morgan went 3-for-3 with one run and two RBI and Barsness finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.  Buxton-Verstegen went 2-for-5 with one run.

Adam Schmitt (2-1) suffered the loss for Concordia-Chicago (Ill.), starting the game and going 3.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs with three strikeouts.  The Cougars used five pitchers in the game.

Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) had three players with two hits as Olavarria went 2-for-5 with a run scored, Wilson 2-for-4 with an RBI and Bethran 2-for-2 with an RBI.