La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team opened National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Regional play with a 19-2 win over Bethel University (Minn.) Friday afternoon at Copeland Park.

THE BASICS

• Result: UW-La Crosse 19, Bethel University (Minn.) 2
• Location: Copeland Park, La Crosse, Wis. 
• Records: UW-La Crosse 32-13, Bethel University 25-16
• National Ranking: UW-La Crosse is ranked 15th on this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll. 
• Up Next: The Eagles will play the winner of Benedictine University (Ill.) and Coe College (Iowa) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Bethel Univesity (Minn.) will face the loser of Benedictine and Coe at 11 a.m. Saturday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jordan Krupke got the Royals on the scoreboard first with a solo home run in the top of the second inning to lead 1-0.
• Jack Olver would lead off the bottom of the second with a single followed by a home run by Anthony Vivian to put the Eagles up 2-1.
• With a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth UWL took a 4-1 lead over Bethel. Tim Urlaub scored on a wild pitch and Mac Born with a two-out single scores Nate Witte.
• Andrew Rajkovich led of the fifth inning with a double and scored on a one out double by Vivian. Urlaub then reached on a throwing error. Vivian and Urlaub would both score on a single by Witte to make it 7-1.
• Then in the bottom of the sixth inning, UWL scored 10 runs on nine hits and an error to take a 17-1 lead. The inning featured a solo home run by Born, a two-run home run by Born and a two-run home run by Vivian. Also driving in runs for the Eagles was Chris VandenHeuvel and James Rae. With 10 runs in the sixth inning versus Bethel (Minn.) marks the most runs in an inning for UWL in an NCAA Division III Tournament game in school history. UWL is playing its 43rd game in the NCAA III Tournament.
• Bethel would score a run in the top of the eighth inning as Matthew Carlsen walked and moved to second when Zach Thompson was hit by a pitch. Joe Meurer would then single to left field to score Carlsen and make it 17-2. 
• A two-run home run by Emiliano Ramos in the bottom of the eighth inning were the final two runs of the game as UWL led 19-2. 

FROM THE BOX SCORE

• Offensively, UWL finished with 19 runs on 23 hits and three walks. UWL's 23 hits, ties for sixth in school history. It ties UWL's NCAA III record set vs. Beloit College in 2016 and UW-Stevens Point in 2023.
• The Eagles finished with five home runs and five hitters with at least three hits including Witte (3-for-5), Born (3-for-4), Rajkovich (4-for-6), Olver (3-for-4) and Vivian (3-for-4). 
• Vivian finished with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored while Born had two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored. 
• Tyler Schmitt (4-3) earned the win for the Eagles as he allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out five in seven innings of work. 
• John Solfest (6-5) suffered the loss for the Royals as he allowed 11 runs on 15 hits and one walk while striking out eight in five innings.
• The Royals finished with two runs on five hits and four walks.
• Krupke led the Royals going 2-for-4 with a home run.