The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team wrapped up their spring trip in Clermont, Florida with a pair of wins Saturday morning. The Warhawks handed Tufts University their first loss of the season in the opener, 3-2, before topping St. Olaf 3-2 in eight innings in the team's final game of the trip. UWW heads back to Wisconsin with a 10-2 record from The Spring Games.
The Warhawks took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning.
Maggie Ward (Downers Grove, Ill./North) notched a one-out single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. An
Ally Dietz (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community) infield single had runners on the corners for UWW.
Kiarra Kostroski (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) grounded out in the next at bat but registered the RBI as Ward touched home for the 1-0 lead.
The Jumbos responded in the top of the third with a leadoff double down the left field line. A Warhawk miscue allowed the run to score before a single up the middle later in the frame brought in one more giving Tufts a 2-1 lead.
That score held until the bottom of the fifth.
Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) took one for the team to open the frame and
Maddie Koenings (West Bend, Wis./West) came in to run at first.
Meghan Dunning (Plainfield, Ill./South) singled up the midle with one out and both runners moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch.
Kellie Shanahan (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) put the ball in play forcing a Jumbo error as Koenings came in to score to reclaim the UWW lead 3-2.
Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) came in for the final two innings of relief. Hock and the Warhawk defense sat Tufts down in order in the top of the sixth. The Jumbos threatened in the top of the seventh with a one-out double to right center and a two-out single that put two runners in scoring position. Hock got out of the jam with a fly out to center to secure the win.
Dietz was 2-3 to lead UWW at the plate in the game.
Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) was tapped for the start and went five innings to tally the win. Hock registered the save, her second of the season.
St. Olaf struck first in the nightcap plating a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the third.
The Warhawks knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth.
Krista Sbarra (West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) started the two-out rally with a double to left field. Koehler followed with an infield single that allowed Sbarra to score.
Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) made it three straight hits for UWW blasting a double to left center to plate Koehler.
Neither team was able to break the tie in the next 1.5 frames to force extra innings. Kostroski trotted out to second base to start the inning as The Spring Games uses the international tiebreaker.
Delaney Becker (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) got the bunt down and a throwing error had Kostroski coming in to score with Becker heading to second. Another sacrifice bunt, this one from Sbarra, had Becker just 60 feet away. Koehler hit a fly ball that was deep enough for Becker to score from third to register UWW's third sacrifice of the inning.
The Warhawks' two-run cushion was cut to one with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but UWW secured the win with a fielder's choice.
Wickman was 3-4 in the batter's box in the game while Koehler was 2-3. The pair combined had a hand in all four of the teams runs combining for three RBI and a run scored.
Maddy Anderson (Waukesha, Wis./North) went the distance in the circle picking up the complete game win. She fanned six while issuing one walk in the game.
