The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team clinched at least a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship after splitting a pair of games at UW-River Falls Thursday afternoon falling in the opener 2-1 (8 inn.) before taking the nightcap 9-6.
The Warhawks have won five of the last six regular season crowns and 2023 marks the 15th in program history, the most for a team in the league.
After a scoreless four innings in game one, the Warhawks broke the stalemate in the top of the fifth.
Sydney Anderson (Delavan, Wis./Delavan-Darien) led off the frame with a single up the middle. She was replaced on the basepaths by
Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South) who advanced to second on a sacrifice. Lapacek came around to score on an
Ally Dietz (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community) to left field for a 1-0 UWW lead.
UW-River Falls tied it up in the bottom of the inning using three hits to bring in one run. The Falcons threatened in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning but
Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) got out of the inning with a fly out, line out and groundout.
It took just one extra inning for a final as the Falcons walked it off with a leadoff four-bagger in the bottom of the eighth.
The Warhawks registered just three hits in the game.
Maddy Anderson (Waukesha, Wis./North) got the start and went 4.1 innings, striking out five and allowing an earned run. Hock came in for the final 2.2 innings of relief fanning three. The loss is the first blemish on Hock's record this season.
The UWW offense got going right off the bat in the nightcap registering multiple runs in consecutive innings to take an early lead. The Warhawks capitalized on a Falcon miscue to plate the first run of the game and then
Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) drove in a second on a sacrifice fly to center field. UW-Whitewater doubled up in the second as
Meghan Dunning (Plainfield, Ill./South) blasted a homer and
Maggie Ward (Downers Grove, Ill./North) singled through the left side to score
Krista Sbarra (West Chicago, Ill./St. Charles East) giving UWW a 4-0 advantage.
A long fourth included four hits for UWRF and a pair of Warhawk errors as the Falcons put up six runs to claim the lead 6-4.
The Warhawks responded, drawing back-to-back walks followed by a single in the fifth.
Kiarra Kostroski (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) blasted a one-out, three-run bomb to swing the lead back in UWW's favor 7-6.
UW-Whitewater added a pair in the sixth for the 9-6 final.
Sbarra and
Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) each tallied a pair of hits in the game to lead the Warhawk offense.
In the circle,
Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) registered the start and went 3.1 innings.
Kate Cleveland (DePere, Wis./Ashwaubenon) picked up the win allowing two hits while striking out two in 2.2 innings of relief. Hock came in for the final frame to tally the save, her fifth of the season.
UW-Whitewater will wrap up the 2023 regular season at home Saturday against UW-La Crosse. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 2 pm with a special recognition of the 2008 national runner-up team to take place before the first pitch. The Warhawks will also be welcoming alumni back to the van Steenderen Softball Complex in a twinbill that will see a WIAC champion crowned.
UWW (10-2) leads the league by a two-game margin heading into the final weekend of WIAC play. UWL (8-4) and UWEC (8-4) are tied for second in the conference standings.
The number one seed after the regular season will host the six-team WIAC Tournament in a battle for the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The WIAC Touranment is scheduled to run May 11-14.
