CLERMONT, Fla. - Head Coach Brenda Volk recorded her 500^th win with a pair of victories Wednesday afternoon at Legends Way Ballpark in Clermont. UW-Whitewater's offense scored in all nine innings to bolster a 14-4 (5 inn.) win over Thomas College and a 16-0 (5 inn.) shutout of Union.

Volk, already the winningest coach in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is the 26^th active head softball coach to reach the milestone out of the 415 institutions that sponsor softball at the Division III level. In her 17 year career at the helm for the Warhawks, Volk has amassed a record of 500-207, a winning percentage of .707.

The Warhawks opened the first game on the right foot with a double play in the top of the first inning. Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) snagged a popup and stepped on first to bring UW-Whitewater to the plate for their first at bats of the game.

Freshman Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) dropped a drag bunt in front of the plate for a single and the throw sailed into right field. Klotz made it all the way around the bases and touched home for the first score of the game. Senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson) followed with a high flyer that soared over the fence in right center field for her first homerun of the season to give the Warhawks an early 2-0 lead.

Thomas used some small ball mixing a sacrifice in with a few singles and a Warhawk miscue to plate two in the top of the second to knot the score 2-2.

In the bottom of the second with one out and one runner on, Mackenzie Price (Spring Green/River Valley) hit a hot shot down the line that hit third base and launched into left field to put two on board with the top of the order coming up to the plate.

Klotz drew a walk to load the bases for DuCharme. Four consecutive balls had all four Warhawks moving around the bases. Sophomore Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) followed with a single up the middle that plated two more but was thrown out sliding into second. DuCharme came in to score on a wild pitch in the next at bat to clear the bases.

Senior Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) kept the inning going with another walk, stole second for the second time in the game and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ricci put runners on the corners drawing a walk and forcing a mound visit by the Thomas coach.

Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) hit a high bouncer that jumped over the pitcher's glove and to the second baseman but not in time to get the freshman at first. Sporer came in to score on the play. Senior Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) sent the first pitch clear over the fence and inside the foul pole down the left field line for a three-run bomb that extended the gap to 10-2.

Sophomore Jess Kaemerer kept the inning alive with an infield single. A passed ball advanced the runner and Price notched a two-out single to left field to bring in another run, UW-Whitewater's ninth of the inning.

The Warhawks' second inning on offense totaled four walks, seven hits and nine runs.
The Terriers capitalized on a Warhawk miscue scoring one in the top of the third but Waller and the UW-Whitewater defense got out of the bases loaded jam with two groundouts.

The Warhawks widened the gap with two more in the bottom of the third and Thomas registered a run in the top of the fourth for the final, 14-4.

Nine Warhawks recorded hits in the game led by Evangelista's perfect performance in the batter's box, 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Price went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.

Waller picked up the win allowing six hits in three innings of work on the mound.

Union Recap
UW-Whitewater kept their offensive steam to open the second game of the day. Klotz singled in the infield, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. With two outs, Sporer drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Ricci made it back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Junior Maggie Hansen (Algonquin, IL/Jacobs) registered a stellar at bat fouling off pitches until she tagged one that rode the chalk line passed third base and into the outfield bringing in two Warhawks for the early 2-0 lead.

After a quick inning on defense, Caitlin Snyder (Burlington/Catholic Central) opened the second frame with a walk. With one out, Klotz and DuCharme notched back-to-back singles to load the bases. Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) was hit by a pitch in the next at bat to plate one run and make the score 3-0. Two consecutive walks brought in two more and Hansen's long fly ball to left field plated one more for the 6-0 lead.

Snyder led off the third with a rocket through the left side. Price got ahold of a pitch and sent it deep to left field. The ball hit the top of the fence and bounced over for her first collegiate homerun to give the Warhawks an 8-0 advantage.

A walk and two singles loaded the bases and a grounder to the first baseman went home. Klotz slid into the plate as the ball got away from the catcher to widen the gap to 9-0.

Running on cruise control, the Warhawk offense loaded the bases once again in the top of the fourth. Kaemerer slid into home safely on a wild pitch to put UW-Whitewater into double digits. Two walks brought another run in and kept the bases juiced. Hansen cleared the basepaths with a soaring grand slam that cleared the left field wall.

The Warhawks added an insurance run in the top of the fifth and held on for the shutout.
Senior righty Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) pitched a gem. In four innings of work, she allowed just one hit while striking out five. Cara Smoczynski (Aurora, IL/Rosary) came in for the final inning of work to seal the game. The Warhawk pitchers and defense allowed just two Union batters to reach base in the game.

The Warhawks tallied 16 hits in 32 at bats in the game including five for extra bases. Hansen led UW-Whitewater offensively with a 2-for-3 performance and seven runs batted in.

UW-Whitewater will conclude its annual spring trip Thursday with a pair of games against Buena Vista and Elmhurst College.