Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MENOMONIE, Wis. - Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) lifted the Warhawks into the WIAC Championship game with a leadoff homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Warhawks a 3-2 win over UW-Stout. Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) held the Blue Devil hitters at bay with 14 strikeouts in the complete game win. Whitewater will face winner of UW-La Crosse and UW-Stout Sunday at 12 pm.

Evangelista was the first Warhawk to step into the batter's box in the bottom of the ninth. She fouled off the first pitch on a hard shot out of play. Evangelista dug in and drove the second pitch over the fence for her fourth round-tripper of the season. Despite the first, eighth and ninth innings, the game was a pitching duel.

UW-Stout, the designated visiting team, scored first capitalizing on a Warhawk miscue. UW-Whitewater struck back in their half of the inning  with a single run to tie the game. Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) notched a one-out single to right center and Morgan Krisch (Plainfield, IL/Central) followed with a single through the left side. With two outs, Evangelista's single up the middle drove in the first run to knot the game 1-1.

The pitchers and defenses stifled the opposing offenses in the next six innings. The score remained 1-1 through regulation.

The Blue Devils put the pressure on as Sam Hastings gave UW-S the lead with a solo homer in the top of the inning. 

The Warhawks refused to fold. McGrail doubled with one out and advanced to third on a groundout. McGrail slid into home safely on a wild pitch to extend the game another inning.

Houda forced three groundouts in the top of the ninth to bring the Warhawks back up to the plate. The rest, as they say, is history.

McGrail and Evangelista each went 3-for-4. McGrail added two runs scored and Evangelista recorded all three RBI in the game.

Houda allowed just seven hits in the nine innings on the mound. She issued two free passes while striking out 14 and allowing one earned run.

UW-Eau Claire Recap
MENOMONIE, Wis. - The Warhawk softball team cruised to a 9-1 win over UW-Eau Claire to advance into a semifinal in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship hosted by UW-Stout. UW-W posted runs in five of seven innings in the game to improve to 29-8. Whitewater will face Stout Saturday at 4 pm.

UW-W's defense held the Blugolds scoreless through the first four innings allowing just four baserunners while the offense provided four runs. 

The Warhawks got on the board in the top of the first after Kelly McGrail (Tinley Park, IL/V.J. Andrew) launched a one-out double to left center. With two outs, Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) singled through the right side to bring in McGrail.

Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) reached on an error with one out in the top of the second and moved to second base with a single off the bat of Chelsey Schobert (Belmont/Belmont). Four of the next five Whitewater batters drew walks to bring in three runs and give the Warhawks a 4-0 lead.

UW-W added another run in the top of the fifth but UW-EC came back with their lone run of the game in their half of the inning.

The Warhawks added an insurance run in the top of the sixth and then three more in the top of the seventh off of six hits.

Whitewater out-hit Eau Claire 14-4 with five Warhawks posting multiple hits in the game. Ricci led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance and three RBI.

Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) pitched a gem for the Warhawks. The righthander went the distance striking out seven while walking just one and allowing four hits. 

The winner of the WIAC Championship will earn the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.


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