The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team split a pair of games Saturday against UW-Stout in its first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season at van Steenderen Softball Complex.
The Warhawks (12-7 overall, 1-1 WIAC) made a late comeback in the second game for a 9-8 triumph in nine innings.
The Blue Devils (9-9, 1-1) took the opener by a 6-2 score.
After a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer by junior pinch hitter
Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South) tied the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh, the score held until the bottom of the ninth, when freshman shortstop
Emily Rux (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) singled through the middle with one out and the bases loaded to end the contest.
Rux, junior right fielder
Jessica Kaemerer (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West), junior left fielder
Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) and freshman catcher
Nikki Mikosz (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) tallied three hits apiece to lead UW-Whitewater. Rux, junior DP
Haley Morelli (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) and junior first baseman
Amy Ricci (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) each knocked in two runs.
Freshman pitcher
Julia Camardo (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) improved to 6-2 on the year, striking out eight batters in the complete-game performance.
Morelli put the Warhawks on the board with a two-run homer over the scoreboard in deep right field in the bottom of the second. Rux plated a run in the third with a base hit, and Ricci homered in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5.
After UW-Stout grabbed an 8-5 lead with three in the top of the sixth, Klotz singled home a run to narrow the deficit to two, but UW-Whitewater left the bases loaded.
Taylor tied the game in dramatic fashion to send the game to extra innings, lining a tailing shot just over the centerfield wall.
In the opener, the Blue Devils tallied a run in the top of the first and never allowed the Warhawks to grab the lead.
UW-Whitewater narrowed its deficit to 3-2 thanks to a sacrifice fly by junior third baseman
Hannah Taylor (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South) in the third and an RBI groundout by junior right fielder
Jessica Kaemerer (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way West) in the fourth, when the Warhawks left runners stranded at second and third.
UW-Stout hit its third and fourth home runs of the game in the top of the sixth to increase the margin to four runs.
Junior designated player
Haley Morelli (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) tallied two of UW-Whitewater's three hits in the contest. Ricci had the other.
Junior pitcher
Stephanie Waller (Oak Lawn, Ill./Richards) took the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season. Junior
Cara Smoczynski (Aurora, Ill./Rosary) tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Waller.
The Warhawks host UW-River Falls Sunday at 12 p.m. at van Steenderen Softball Complex.
Prior to Saturday's first game, Corky Cronin threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Cronin hosted the team in 2014 when it made its run to a national third-place finish in Tyler, Texas.
UW-Whitewater also welcomed back several of its alumni to campus.
