Stevens Point, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team split a doubleheader at UW-Stevens Point Saturday afternoon at University Field.  The Eagles, ranked fourth on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll, dropped the opener 9-2, but came back to take the nightcap, 11-6.  UWL finishes the regular season 31-8 overall and 18-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) while UW-Stevens Point finishes 21-19 overall and 10-10 in the conference.

UWL will be the top-seed and UW-Stevens Point the third-seed at the WIAC Championship (presented by Culver's) May 13-14 at Copeland Park in La Crosse.  The winner of the league tournament claims the conference's automatic bid into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championship.  UWL earned the top-seed by winning the regular season WIAC title. The Eagles will host fourth-seeded UW-Oshkosh Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. while UW-Stevens Point faces second-seeded UW-Whitewater at 1 p.m.  The championship follows a double elimination format.

In the opener Saturday, UWL took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  Joel Zyhowski walked to open the frame, stole second and advanced to third on Alex Cordova's fly to right field.  Zyhowski then scored as Taylor Kohlwey reached base on an error. 

UW-Stevens Point responded in the bottom of the frame as Ben Diedrick and Cody Hanke walked with out and scored on Turner Doornink's three-run home run to left field to give the Pointers a 3-1 lead. 

The Eagles cut the lead to 3-2 in the third as Kohlwey tripled with one out and scored on a Justin Anderson single.  Kohlwey extended his hitting streak to 41 games, tied for fifth all-time in NCAA III history. He also set UWL's single-season school record for runs with 58, breaking the record of 57 set by Kohlwey in 2014 and Vinnie Rottino in 2002. 

The Pointers scored four runs in the fourth on a grand slam from Hanke to make it 7-2 and added two more in the seventh to extend the lead to 9-2. 

Jameson Lavery (6-1) took the loss in Saturday's opener, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out four.  Ben Morgan and Travis Buxton-Verstegen each went 2-for-4 for UWL. 

Cole Erickson (2-2) earned the complete-game win for UW-Stevens Point.  He allowed two runs on seven hits in 9.0 innings, walking four and striking out six.  It was Erickson's third complete-game of the season. 

UWL took control early in the final game of the series, scoring seven runs on six hits in the top of the second inning.  With one out, Carter Hoffman reached on a UW-Stevens Point error and advanced all the way to third base.  Alex Brown singled to score Hoffman, making it 1-0.  Travis Buxton-Verstegen walked, and a double steal put the runners on second and third. Brown then scored on a wild pitch giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.  After a Seth Feldman walk, Zyhowski hit a three-run home run to make it 5-0. Cordova singled with two-outs and scored on Kohlwey's second triple of the day and Anderson followed with a singled to drive in Kohlwey.  The triple extended Kohlwey's hitting streak to 42-games, tied for the fourth-longest in NCAA Division III history.

UW-Stevens Point got one run back in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly after three straight singles to open the inning, making it 7-1.  UWL added a run in the fourth. Kohlwey singled with two outs, stole second and advanced to third on the throw.  He later scored on a passed ball to make it 8-1.

The Pointers scored two runs in the fifth to make it 8-3 on Ray Greco's two-run single.  UWL took a 9-3 lead in the seventh as Hoffman singled, stole second and came in on Buxton-Verstegen's single.  UW-Stevens Point cut the deficit ot 9-5 in the bottom of the seventh on Greco's two-run home run scoring William Iloncaie.

Both teams scored once in the eighth.  Nate Heili hit a one-out single for UWL and stole two bases to advance to third.  He scored on an error by the Pointers' catcher.  Peter Strommen's home run in the bottom of the eighth for UW-Stevens Point.  Brown hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth for UWL to finish the scoring.

James Witt (3-0) earned the victory for UWL, going 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on 11 hits.  He struck out five and walked one.

Kohlwey extended his hitting streak to 42 games, and now is tied for fourth in NCAA history.  He also scored twice, bringing his school record total to 60.  Zyhowski, Brown, and Hoffman each two hits for the Eagles with Zyhowski driving in three and Brown two.  All nine starters recorded a hit for UWL while eight starters scored a run.

Ben Servais (1-1) took the loss for UW-Stevens Point.  He gave up five runs on two hits in 1.1 innings of work.  He walked two batters and struck out one. Greco had four RBI and was 2-for-5 at the plate. Strommen was 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Pointers. 

UWL returns to action Friday, May 13 hosting UW-Oshkosh at 10 a.m. in the WIAC Championship at Copeland Park.