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The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team forced a third and decisive game in the final series of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Presented by Culver's Saturday with a 9-0 victory in six innings at UW-Oshkosh.
After a 2-1 setback in the opener, the Warhawks (29-9 overall) posted 14 hits and held the Titans' offense to two hits in the nightcap.
Catcher
Nikki Mikosz (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) led the offense with three hits, including a two-run homer. Outfielder
Vera Pflugradt (Lake Zurich, Ill./Stevenson) posted two hits, including a home, two runs scored and two runs batted in, and right fielder
Taylor Briehl (Spring Green, Wis./River Valley) plated a pair of runs.
Third baseman
Meg Cohrs (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) tallied two hits, one run scored and one RBI, and shortstop
Meghan Dunning (Plainfield, Ill./South) recorded one hit and two runs scored. Left fielder
Krista Sbarra (West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) finished 2-for-3 with one run scored, and first baseman
Kaleigh O'Brien (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) plated one run.
Mallory Hollatz (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) pitched all six innings for UW-Whitewater, striking out three to improve to 4-0 for the year. She ran into trouble in the top of the fourth when the Titans (23-11) had runners at second and third with one out and the bases loaded with two outs, but induced a flyout to end the frame.
In the opener, UW-Oshkosh scored on a UW-W error in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead, but Mikosz plated Pflugradt with one out in the sixth to tie the game at 1-1.
The game went to extra innings after neither team pushed a run across in the seventh.
In the eighth, the Warhawks left two runners on base, and UW-Oskhosh scored on a two-out double to snap UW-W's 12-game winning streak entering the day.
Pitcher
Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) took the tough luck loss, falling to 7-5 on the season. She struck out three batters and scattered five hits over 7 2/3 innings.
Sunday's game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. in Oshkosh.