May 15 ... UW-Whitewater's 2011 season came to an end with a 5-2 eight inning loss to host Central College in the
Pella, Iowa Regional of the NCAA III Softball Championship Tournament Sunday.
UW-Whitewater Tournament Central website
box score
Rankins was crankin'. Senior third baseman
Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo), 3x4 in the game, put UW-W in front with a lead off, solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. One inning later, with two outs in the fifth, Rankins went deep again, the first time this season a Warhawk hit more than one home run in a game, to make it 2-0 Whitewater.
After one out in the seventh, Central put runners on via a walk and a batter hit by a pitch. A fielder's choice put runners and first and third, and a two out double that rolled to the fence by Rachael Everingham tied the game.
In the bottom of the seventh Whitewater loaded the bases with no outs, but Central senior righthander Kiley Lythberg got out of it with a pop up, a strike out, and a fly ball.
In the top of the eighth, with a runner on second, Lythberg pushed a bunt between first and second, and with Whitewater's defense moving for the sacrifice, wound up with a RBI bunt double (yes, you read that right). Caitlyn Meyer followed with a single to score Lythberg, and a double by Annie Sarcone brought in Meyer to make it 5-2.
UW-W came back, putting runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, but Lythberg closed the door.
Lythberg, 19-6, picked up the win with 7.2 innings. She gave up both runs, seven hits, four walks and struck out seven. Lythberg also led Dutch batters with two hits. Whitewater's
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka), 21-7, went the distance, allowing six hits, six walks and striking out ten. Stang, Whitewater's career leader in almost every pitching category, hurled all eighteen innings UW-W played Sunday.
UW-Whitewater ends the season 28-12. The Warhawks went 2-2 in the double elimination regional tournament, losing 1-0 to Coe College Thursday, coming back to top Benedictine 4-1 Friday, and then advancing with an epic 2-1 fourteen inning win over Washington University that covered two days. UW-W played two games, and a total of 18 innings, Sunday.
The Central game was the sixth time this season that UW-W played extra innings, and the first time the Warhawks had played back to back extra inning games. Whitewater went 3-3 in extra inning contests.
Central, 38-8, advances to face Coe College Monday morning. Coe defeated Central 2-1 in nine innings Saturday. The winner of the Coe-Central game will face number one ranked Linfield College, 44-2, at noon. Central or Coe, both of whom have one loss in the regional, must defeat Linfield, which has not lost (and has not been scored on, 37-0) in the regional, twice.
May 15 ... Twenty-four hours is a long game. Admittedly, the Whitewater-Washington University game in the
Pella, Iowa Regional of the NCAA III Softball Championship Tournament was stretched out over two days and three rain delays, but the 14 innings it took for UW-W to win 2-1 in a game that finished Sunday afternoon still ranks as the longest game in school history. The Warhawks move on to play again Sunday night at 7:30.
UW-W Tournament Central website
box score
photo gallery (courtesy of Leah Thyne, available for purchase)
The teams threw the first pitch shortly after 2:00 Saturday, starting late because of rain in Pella. The teams got through four innings before rain forced the suspension of the game, set to begin again Sunday at 10:00. More rain, another delay, and the game was pushed back again. When the teams resumed play it looked like they never wanted to finish.
Whitewater senior lefthander
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) and Washington senior righty Claire Voris kept wriggling out of jams and seemed to pick up steam as the game wore on.
Stang had a touch of Criss Angel in her with several masterful escapes. The Bears loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Stang struck out the next two batters. The Bears had runners on first and third with two outs in the third, but didn't score. The Bears loaded the bases with one out again in the fourth but Stang got the second out on strikes and out number three was a line drive to third.
Meanwhile, Voris was duplicating the magic act. Whitewater had a runner on third with two outs in the fourth, and then loaded the bags with no outs in the sixth. Voris picked up two of the outs herself in the sixth with strikeouts.
The Bears loaded the bases again in the eighth with one out, but a strikeout and ground ball ended the threat. And that is where the high-wire act stopped for a while. Neither team got a runner on for the next three innings. Both teams got a runner to second in the twelfth, but it was fool's gold as Voris and Stang continued to dominate.
With Central College and Anderson University, the next game scheduled for the field, warmed up (and possibly worn out) waiting along the fences, and host Central's fans expecting to arrive for the start of their teams' game, Whitewater and Washington gave no sign of stopping.
If you were looking for signs, it may have come in the top of the thirteenth.
Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) led off with a double, her third hit of the game.
Lauren Rankins (Marengo, IL/Marengo) followed with a fly ball to center, an out, but encouraging good contact.
Jordyn Gaza (Mundelein, IL/Carmel Catholic) followed with another long fly ball, again an out, but possibly a sign of things to come.
With one out in the fourteenth, senior rightfielder
Haley Krueger (Beach Park, IL/Waukegan) put a ball over the deepest part of the field, in center to break the deadlock. Sophomore outfielder
Sarah Fisher (Greenfield/Greenfield) followed with a single up the middle, her fourth hit of the game. Fisher then stole second and, with two outs, scored on another single up the middle by senior second baseman
Kate McDonnell (Aurora, IL/West Aurora).
You had to know, given all the drama over two days, that it wouldn't end that way. With one out in the bottom of the fourteenth Kelsey Neal clubbed the ball over the field in left center field, her fifth home runof the season, to cut lead to 2-1. The next two batters made contact, but grounded out to end the marathon.
Stang, who has pitched every inning that matters this season, showed why there is no such thing as "pitch count" in collegiate softball, throwing 232 pitches in the game over the two days. Stang gave up ten hits, struck out ten and walked eight while improving to 21-6. The twenty-one wins ties her school record for wins in a season, set in 2009. She also moved into second place with 170.2 inning pitched, 22 complete games, and 194 strikeouts (trailing only her own 2009 season, 199, in the latter category. She is already UW-W's career leader in wins, innings pitched, complete games and strikeouts.
Voris, 16-5, gave up twelve hits, walked three and struck out nine in her historic effort for Washington University.
Washington University finishes the season 32-12-1.
Whitewater's longest game previously was 12 innings, a 5-4 loss to UW-Platteville in Platteville in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament May 3, 2003. The Warhawks had to go into extra innings this season prior to today, but all four finished in eight innings.
Whitewater, 28-11, is scheduled to play host Central College, 37-8, at 7:30 at Pella High School. The loser of the 7:30 Sunday game will be out of the double elimination regional, with the winner moving on to play at 10:00 Monday, facing the winner of a late Sunday matchup between Linfield College-Coe College.
May 14 ... Saturday's UW-Whitewater and Washington University-Saint Louis game in the
NCAA III Pella, Iowa Regional of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championship Tournament was suspended by rain with the score 0-0 after four innings. Play will resume at 1:00 Sunday.
UW-W softball championship website
UW-W is 27-11 overall and 1-1 in the double elimination regional. The Warhawks lost to Coe College (IA) 1-0 Thursday and defeated Benedictine University (IL) 4-1 Friday. Washington, 32-11-1, defeated Fontbonne University (MO) 3-2 in the opening round, then fell to Linfield College 17-0 in five innings Friday. The Whitewater-Washington game will open play Sunday. The winner will play the winner of Anderson College (IN) versus host Central College (IA) in the third game of the day Sunday, while the Whitewater-Washington loser is eliminated.
May 13 ... Timely hits led UW-W to a 4-1 win over Benedictine University Friday in the second day of the
Pella, Iowa Regional of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Softball Championship Tournament. UW-W, 27-11, will face the loser of the Linfield (42-2) and Washington University (MO) (31-9-1) match-up Saturday at 2:00. The Linfield-Washington game was scheduled to be played Friday afternoon, but rain has cancelled the rest of Friday's games and moved them to Saturday. Visit the
UW-Whitewater softball championship website for more information.
box score
photo gallery courtesy of Leah Thyne (all photos are for sale)
Whitewater posted the first runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Jordyn Gaza (Mundelein, IL/Carmel Catholic) led off the inning with a single up the middle and was relieved at first base by pinch runner
Jacky Bigger (Twin Lakes/Wilmot Union). An error on a sacrifice bunt by
Mimi Ramirez (Chicago, IL/Trinity) put the first two runners on for UW-W.
Laura Eichenold (Elmwood Park, IL/Trinity) loaded the bases with a bunt single and Bigger came in to score after
Haley Krueger (Beach Park, IL/Waukegan) drew a walk in the next at bat. With one out,
Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) hit into a fielder's choice but Ramirez slid into home safely to keep the bases loaded. A fly out brought
Emily Epifanio (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South), Whitewater's RBI leader, to the plate with bases loaded and two outs. Epifanio's single up the middle was stopped by Benedictine's shortstop but the throw to second wasn't in time to get the speedy Mertes, allowing Eichenold and Krueger, who never stopped running, to score. Epifanio's two RBI's increased her team leading total to 36 and put the Warhawks ahead 4-0.
The Eagles answered in the top of the third with one run on two hits. Back-to-back singles for Benedictine put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt from pitcher Brittany Adcox moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Catcher Kara Walsh flew out to left field scoring the runner from third for an RBI. A strikeout ended the Eagle threat.
The Warhawks allowed just three Benedictine base runners in the final four innings of play. UW-Whitewater collected ten hits in the game with Epifanio, Gaza and Ramirez posting two hits apiece.
UW-W lefty ace
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) improved to 20-6 on the season going the distance for Whitewater with three strikeouts, four walks and four hits allowed.
Adcox allowed four runs on ten hits while striking out two and issuing one walk in six innings for the Eagles.
Whitewater fell to Coe College 1-0 in Thursday's opening round. Benedictine, with their second loss in the regional's double elimination format, ends their 2011 season 37-8.
May 12 ... The Warhawks fell to Coe College 1-0 in the first round of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Softball Championship regional hosted by Central College in Pella, Iowa Thursday. The Warhawks, 26-11, will play Benedictine University, at noon Friday in the double elimination format.
Follow the Warhawks on the UW-Whitewater Softball Championship Central website.
box score
The aces for both teams on the mound combined to allow just three runners to reach base in the first three and one half innings. The bottom of the fourth produced the only run of the game after four straight walks brought in Kohawk Callie Morningstar.
UW-W had a runner on in the top of the sixth and seventh innings but was unable to score. It marked the fifth shutout of the season for the Warhawks, and the third by a 1-0 score.
Amanda Mertes (Des Plaines, IL/Elk Grove) and
Kate McDonnell (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) recorded the only hits for the Warhawks. The two hits marked the fewest by UW-W since being no-hit by Messiah College in Florida on the first day of the 2011 season.
Senior lefthander
Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) went the distance on the mound for Whitewater throwing a one-hitter while striking out five and walking four. It marked the third time this season that Stang allowed one hit. She threw a seven inning one hitter against UW-Platteville April 21, and gave up just one to Saint Norbert in a five innings April 3. Coe's righty Ashlee Simon, 26-2, posted twelve strikeouts and one walk while allowing the two hits in seven innings pitched.
UW-W will face the loser of the Benedictine (37-6) and Central College (35-7) matchup Friday at noon. Coe upped its record to 37-9. Coe will face the Benedictine-Central winner Friday at 4:00.
The winner of the Pella Regional will join seven other reginal winners in the NCAA III World Series May 20-24 in Salem, Virginia.
May 9 ... Warhawks Receive NCAA Tournament Bid
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team, 26-10, will open play Thursday at 2:00 in the 2011
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Softball Championship Tournament against Coe College, 34-9, in a
regional hosted by Central College in Pella, Iowa.
You can follow the Warhawks on UW-Whitewater's Championship Central site.
Animoto
The Pella Regional, which will use a double elimination format, includes eight teams. Linfield College, 41-2 and ranked number one, will face Anderson College, 28-13 and the champion of the Heartland Athletic Conference, at 10:00 Thursday; Fontbonne University, 29-8 and champions of the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will play Washington University of Saint Louis, 31-10-1, at 12:00; and Benedictine University, 37-6 and champions of the Northern Athletics Conference, will match up with host Central, 35-7 at 4:00. The tournament will continue play Friday and Saturday, and will conclude Sunday.
The winner of the Pella Regional will join seven other regional winners in the final series May 20-24 in Salem, Virginia.
The Warhawks did not play any of the regional participants during the 2011 season. UW-W beat Coe 1-0 in the second game of the 2009 regional, and also defeated Coe 9-1 in five innings in 2008 NCAA play. In 2003 Whitewater topped Fontbonne twice in the regional, 6-3 in eight innings in the opening round, and 5-3 in the third round of the regional. Whitewater and Central met in the final championship series in 1987, with Whitewater winning 3-1 on the way to its second place finish. UW-W and Benedictine (then Illinois Benedictine College), played three times in the 1984 regional. Whitewater won the first game 8-0, Benedictine won round two 7-3, and the Warhawks won the regional championship with a 10-0 win over the Eagles.
UW-W, which tied for second place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will be making its fifteenth national tournament appearance since 1981. The Warhawks advanced to the final series, the "World Series", in 1983 (fourth), 1984 (fourth), 1985 (third), 1986 (second), and 1987 (second). Whitewater's most recent appearance was in 2009. The 2008 team advanced to the final series in Salem, Virginia, finishing second.
UW-W's
Brenda Volk, the Warhawks' head coach since 1999, has been with the team in the NCAA tournament as a player (1991), assistant coach (1996 and 1997), and head coach.
For additional information:
Brenda Volk,
