EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team, co-champions of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, shutout UW-River Falls 4-0 to win the league tournament title and receive the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third consecutive season Sunday at Carson Park in Eau Claire. 

The tournament title is the seventh in program history, a conference record. UW-Whitewater will advance to regionals at a site yet to be determined. The 16 regional sites will announced along with the 62-team field in the NCAA Selection Show Monday at 9 a.m.

Senior Kelynn Sporer (Chilton/Chilton) set the tone for the game in the circle with the first batter she faced. The righty went ahead 0-2 but the batter evened the count at 2-2. Sporer wound up and threw a gnarly change up that had the batter swinging early for strike three. 

A defensive battle ensued through the fourth inning. 

In the top of the fifth, senior Deven DuCharme (Hudson/Hudson) drew a two-out walk to jump start the Warhawk offense. The speedster stole second and senior Jo Jablonski (Palatine, IL/Palatine) drove in the first run of the game on a hard shot to center field. Sophomore Amy Ricci (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township) tagged an inside pitch in the next at bat sending the ball on a line over the wall in right center for a two-run homer to give UW-Whitewater a 3-0 lead. 

Freshman Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) singled to center and took two extra bases on a Falcon miscue to lead off the seventh. DuCharme came up big with a rocket up the middle to give the Warhawks a four-run cushion and seal the win. 

Sporer went the distance on the mound striking out three and allowing just two hits for the complete game win. 

Ricci had two of the team's seven hits to lead UW-Whitewater. 

UW-OSHKOSH RECAP
The Warhawks advanced to the championship game with an 8-0, five-inning shutout over UW-Oshkosh early Sunday afternoon. 

The UW-Whitewater offense got going right away posting the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Klotz led off the inning reaching on a Titan miscue and advanced to second on DuCharme's sacrifice bunt. Jablonski's single to center plated the first run of the game. 

A big third inning for the Warhawks put the game out of reach. Klotz led off the inning with a triple over the center fielder's head. DuCharme drew a walk and stole second in the next at bat. Jablonski followed with a two-RBI double on a nice piece of hitting to right field. Ricci singled to center to put runners on the corners and Sporer cleared the bases in the next at bat to give the Warhawks a 6-0 advantage. Sporer's round-tripper was a laser to left field that nearly hit the second fence in the park listed at 240 feet. 

In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard South) opened the inning with a single to the pitcher. DuCharme tagged UW-Whitewater's second homer of the game on a shot to right field plating two and extending the gap to 8-0. 

The Titans threatened with two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth but the Warhawks held on for the shortened game win via the run rule. 

Jablonski was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs batted in, a run scored and a walk. Sporer was 2-for-3 in the batter's box with the three-run four bagger. 

Senior righty Bekka Houda (Lisle, IL/Lisle) struck out three and allowed just four hits in the complete game win. 

More information on the NCAA Regional will be posted when available.