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NCAA Bloomington Super Regional Web Page
Postgame Press Conference
 
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The No. 25 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and withstood a late rally Friday afternoon on its way to a 1-0 victory over 24th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan in the first game of the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional.
 
With the game tied at 0-0 entering the seventh, freshman right fielder Kaiden Jackson (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) laced a double to left center and stole third with nobody out.
 
Senior left fielder Mallory Klotz (New Berlin, Wis./West) stepped up as the next hitter and drove a pitch back up the middle to give the Warhawks (29-11-1) a one-run lead and collect her 231st career hit to break the program's all-time record.
 
With six shutout innings under her belt, sophomore pitcher Bella Matthias (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) came back out for the seventh.
 
The Titans (34-11-1) started the frame with back-to-back hits, but Matthias recovered to strike out the side, getting the final hitter on a 3-2 count to secure the win and put UW-Whitewater one win away from next week's NCAA Championship in Oklahoma City.
 
Matthias improved to 10-4 on the season with her second straight shutout, allowing only three hits while striking out seven in the performance.
 
Senior second baseman Michayla Swanson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) and junior centerfielder Caitlin Catino (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) each added one hit for the Warhawks, who won their 10th straight game and seventh game by one run in their last eight.
 
The two teams return to action Saturday for Game 2 at 1 p.m. If Illinois Wesleyan wins the contest, a third and decisive game will be played at approximately 3:30 p.m.