The No. 18 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team registered a pair of close, hard-fought victories Saturday afternoon against UW-La Crosse in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opening twin bill for both teams at van Steenderen Softball Complex.
The Warhawks (12-4 overall, 2-0 WIAC) shut out the Eagles 2-0 in the first game before posting a come-from-behind 4-3 triumph in Game 2.
In the nightcap, UW-Whitewater trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, when sophomore centerfielder
Caitlin Catino (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) posted a run-scoring double to left center and senior right fielder
Haley Morelli (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) tied the game with an RBI single to center.
With the bases loaded and two outs, freshman designated player
Dani Biesiada (Lisle, Ill./Naperville North) hit a ground ball to second base that was bobbled to allow the go-ahead run to cross home plate.
Freshman
Kylie Hoffman (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley), who relieved sophomore starter
Julia Camardo (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) with one out in the top of the fifth, retired the last seven hitters she faced to pick up the win, improving to 3-0 on the year. Camardo struck out three in her 4 1/3 innings of work.
Sophomore shortstop
Kelly Berglund (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) drove a two-out, RBI double to the left center field gap to bring home UW-Whitewater's first run in the bottom of the second.
The Eagles (16-8, 0-2) scored three unanswered, plating two in the third and one in the fifth to take the lead.
Morelli and Berglund each recorded two hits to lead the Warhawks.
In the opener, a leadoff home run by junior left fielder
Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) provided all the run support needed for freshman pitcher
Bella Matthias (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield), who tossed a complete-game shutout to improve to 5-3 on the season.
Matthias scattered four hits and walked one while striking out seven in the contest. She stranded runners on base in four of the first five innings and was aided by a double play on a line drive to third base in the sixth inning before pitching a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
The Warhawks' other run also came in the first inning on an RBI groundout by freshman third baseman
Meg Cohrs (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) that plated Catino.
Morelli tallied two of UW-Whitewater's three hits in the game.
The Warhawks continue action at van Steenderen Softball Complex Sunday at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Chicago.
