The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team closed the regular season Tuesday by securing a spot in the postseason with a pair of victories at UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.
 
The Warhawks (19-17 overall, 7-7 WIAC) earned the No. 4 seed in this weekend's WIAC Tournament (Presented by Culver's) and will take on fifth-seeded UW-River Falls to start tournament play this Friday at 10 a.m. in La Crosse.
 
UW-Whitewater topped the Blugolds 6-2 in the opener before scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh in Game 2 on its way to a 6-5 victory.
 
In Game 1, the Warhawks plated five in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
 
Designated player Sydney Anderson (Delavan, Wis./Delavan-Darien) tied the game on a base hit up the middle before left fielder Krista Sbarra (West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) put the team ahead by scoring on a passed ball.
 
Centerfielder Kiarra Kostroski (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) expanded the lead to 4-2 before first baseman Ally Dietz (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community) made it a four-run game with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.
 
Kate Cleveland (DePere, Wis./Ashwaubenon), who entered the game with two on and nobody out in the third inning, tossed five scoreless frames in relief to earn the win, striking out four while allowing two hits and one walk. Mallory Hollatz (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) pitched the first two innings, stranding five runners over that span to keep UW-W within striking distance.
 
Anderson finished 3-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, while Dietz registered two hits and three RBIs. Kostroski reached twice with one hit and one walk and tallied one RBI and shortstop Meghan Dunning (Plainfield, Ill./South) collected one hit, one walk and one run scored.
 
In the nightcap, UW-Eau Claire (23-9, 9-5) rallied from a 5-0 deficit with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the contest.
 
In the seventh, right fielder Sophia Kinjerski (Maribel, Wis./Denmark) singled to left to bring home Kostroski, who tripled to right center to lead off the inning.
 
Annie Morelli (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) recorded the final two outs in the sixth inning to pick up the win and improve to 1-1 on the season. Cleveland entered in the seventh with the tying run on first base and retired the final three hitters of the game to earn her second save of the year.
 
Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) started the game and pitched 5 1/3 frames, striking out three. Kathryn Kinsella (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) relieved Dick before Morelli entered the contest.
 
Kostroski reached base three times with two hits and one walk to go with one run scored, while Dietz tallied two hits. Sbarra reached twice with one hit and one walk with one RBI and second baseman Brooke Mangler (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) posted one hit, one run scored and one RBI.
 
Catcher Kennedy Cox (Janesville, Wis./Craig) hit a two-out, two-run single as part of UW-Whitewater's five-run fourth inning.
 
The Warhawks finished as the WIAC Tournament runner-up in 2021. The tournament returns to its five-team, double-elimination, single-site format in 2022.