CLERMONT, Fla. - The Warhawk softball team, ranked fourteenth in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll, wrapped up their annual spring trip with two wins Thursday to return to Wisconsin with a 10-2 record. UW-Whitewater topped Elmhurst College 5-2 and concluded their trip with a 6-1 victory over Buena Vista. 

Senior righthander Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) sat the Bluejays down in order to open the game. Senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson) got the offense going with a long ball that gave the Warhawks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. 

Another 1-2-3 inning had the Warhawks back at the plate. Senior Paige Evangelista (Wheaton, IL/North) singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) tagged a two-run blast to extend the lead to 3-0. 

Elmhurst scored one run courtesy of an RBI double in the top of the fourth. 

Warhawk fans may have been sensing a little deja vu as UW-Whitewater's half of the inning began the same way as the bottom of the second with an Evangelista walk and Hayley Morelli sacrifice bunt. This time Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) brought in one run with a single and moved to second on the throw. DuCharme followed with another single that scored Klotz to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Warhawks. 

The Bluejays plated one more in the top of the sixth but Houda and the Warhawks shut them down the rest of the way. 

Klotz went 3-for-4 with a run and a run batted in to lead UW-Whitewater. Taylor was 2-for-3 in the batter's box and DuCharme went 2-for-4 offensively. 

Houda allowed four hits in the complete game on the mound. The hurler struck out nine and did not issue a walk in the win. 

Buena Vista Recap
UW-Whitewater put together all the offense it would need in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) notched a lead off single and was replaced by junior Courtney Smith (St. Charles, IL/North) on the basepath. An error by the shortstop in the next at bat allowed Smith to score and Hansen to make it all the way to third. A two-out single down the right field line from Taylor plated Hansen for the early 2-0 lead. 

The Warhawks added a single run in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the sixth to widen the gap to 4-0. 

A two-run top of the seventh extended the cushion to six runs. DuCharme singled with one out followed by a three-bagger to right field off the bat of Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine). Ricci doubled to right field with two gone to bring in the second run of the inning. 

BVU broke the shutout with a run in the bottom of the seventh but the Warhawk defense stranded two runners to close the game. 

DuCharme added two more hits to her Thursday total. Jablonski and Taylor each went 2-for-3 and Ricci registered two hits in the game. 

Senior righty Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) picked up her third win of the season with the complete game on the mound. She allowed five hits and no earned runs while striking out seven in seven innings of work. 

The Warhawks return to Wisconsin to open their home season against No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan University Monday, March 30 at 3 and 5 p.m. in a rematch of the Super Regional a year ago.