If it weren't for the fact that all of the Warhawk softball players are too young to remember, you would say that their theme song would be the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive".  Freshman hurler Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) tossed a four-hit shutout to lead UW-Whitewater to a 4-0 win over Ithaca College in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III World Series at Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.    UW-Whitewater's post-season site

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Stang, who has pitched all but one inning in four World Series games, raised her record to 15-5.  Already the single season strikeout leader in the UW-W record book, she raised her total to 148 K's in 131 innings.

Whitewater and Ithaca went scoreless through the first three innings.  But it wasn't for lack of trying.  Whitewater had two runners thrown out trying to advance from third in the third inning, and UW-W used an unusual pitcher-first-second double play in the fourth to thwart an Ithaca scoring threat. 

Whitewater finally broke through in the fourth on a Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) single to lead 1-0.

The Warhawks concluded the scoring with three in the fifth, on just one hit.  A walk, hit by pitch, two fielder's choices, and an error loaded the bases and Suzanne Gersich (Wadsworth, IL/Warren) cleared the bases with a double.

UW-W, 38-10, is 3-1 in the World Series.  UW-W lost its opener 5-4 to New York-Cortland, but bounced back in the double elimination tourney with a 4-1 win over Rhode Island College Saturday, and two wins Sunday; 5-3 over Muskingum and the victory over Ithaca.

Whitewater will face Louisiana College, 45-6 and the number one seed in the tourney, at 11:00 Central Monday in Salem.