The UW-Whitewater softball team swept Chicago in a pair of games Sunday afternoon during the team's annual alumni celebration. The Warhawks won the first game 2-1 and followed with an 8-5 win in the nightcap courtesy of a walkoff grandslam off the bat of senior Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine). 

Former Warhawk pitcher Laura (Hering) Granger got the day started throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. The UW-Whitewater Hall of Famer was accompanied by her husband Joe and daughters Violet and Iris on the diamond and in the stands cheering on the Warhawks. 

The Warhawks struck first in the game. Senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson) singled up the middle. On a perfectly executed hit and run Jablonski notched a single through the left side and with DuCharme moving on the pitch, she was able to advance all the way to third. A passed ball in the next at bat plated the first run of the game.
 
Senior Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) fell behind 0-2 in the count but played the role of the spoiler and ended up drawing a nine-pitch walk. Jablonski tagged on a sky ball to right field to put runners on the corners and Sporer added a stolen base in the inning but UW-Whitewater went back into the field with the 1-0 advantage.
 
After two and a half scoreless innings, sophomore Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) ended the scoring drought jumping on the first pitch and sending a high fly ball sailing over the fence in right center for her third round-tripper of the season.
 
Chicago threatened in the top of the fifth with bases loaded and two outs but a nifty catch by third baseman Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) reaching into the dugout to grab the popup got UW-Whitewater out of the jam.
 
The Maroons used back-to-back doubles in the top of the sixth to cut the Warhawk lead in half, 2-1.
 
Houda retired the Maroons in order in the top of the seventh to seal the 2-1 win and improve to 11-3 this season. The righty went the distance striking out five and issuing one walk.
 
The Warhawks totaled just four hits in the win, each by different hitters.
 
Game Two Recap
Chicago posted a run in the top of the first frame of game two. A leadoff double led to the first run of the game for a 1-0 Maroon advantage after half an inning.
 
The Maroons added a run in the top of the second inning on a solo shot to center field.
 
Ricci tagged a double to left center to open the bottom of the second inning for the Warhawks. Freshman Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) knotted the game at 2-2 with her the first homerun of her collegiate career, a long fly ball over the center field fence.
 
Some confusion on defense with a runner on second base plated a Maroon in the top of the third to give Chicago a 3-2 lead. UC added two to their tally in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 5-2.
 
In the Warhawks' half of the fifth, DuCharme took advantage of a walked batter with a two-run four-bagger on a high fly ball soared over the fence in center field to narrow the gap to 5-4.
 
After a scoreless sixth, the Warhawk defense held Chicago to head back to the plate. Taylor led off with a single to right center. Freshman Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) followed with bunt single and DuCharme loaded the bases with a walk. Jablonski crushed a grandslam on a no-doubter to left center for the walkoff 8-5 win. The senior is the second Warhawk to record a grandslam this season joining Hansen with the feat from UW-Whitewater's spring trip in Florida in March.
 
Klotz was the lone Warhawk with multiple hits in the game. Waller picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the mound. The righty threw 4.0 innings of one-hit ball striking out two.
 
UW-Whitewater will host St. Norbert College Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at noon. Please note: due to weather concerns, it is likely that the game times for Sunday will be changed. Please stay tuned to uwwsports.com for the most up to date information.