The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team wrapped up the 2024 regular season with a pair of non-conference wins at Carthage Saturday afternoon. UWW took the opener 8-2 and won the nightcap 3-0.
The Warhawks capitalized on a couple of Firebird miscues to jump out to a quick 5-0 lead in game one. UW-Whitewater plated five runs on two hits with the help of a pair of errors in the frame.
Maggie Ward (Downers Grove, Ill./North) had the big hit of the inning with a double to left center that plated two. Sophia Kingerski legged out a bunt for an infield single that also brought in a run.
UWW added another run in the top of the fourth.
JJ Jakosalem (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove) drew a leadoff walk and the Warhawks used small ball to get pinch runner
Abby Borchardt (Random Lake, Wis./Random Lake) to second. She stole third and came in to score on a fielders choice later in the frame.
Carthage responded with one run in each the fifth and sixth innings, but the Warhawks pushed the lead back to six with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Kaitlyn Weidemann (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) brought in both on a RBI single to right field for the 8-2 final.
Weidemann bolstered the offense with a 2-3 game at the plate. She added a pair of RBI while also drawing two walks and scored once.
Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) picked up the win in 4.1 innings of work to improve to 5-3 on the season.
After three complete scoreless innings to open game two,
Kiarra Kostroski (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) drew a leadoff walk in the fourth.
Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) sacrificed Kostroski to third and she came around to score on
Taylor Koehler's (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) single up the middle.
The only two other runs of the game came in the sixth.
Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) singled to center with one out. Weidemann laced a two-out triple to right center and came in to score on a Carthage miscue for the 3-0 Warhawk lead.
Weidemann went 2-4 with a RBI and a run scored to lead the UWW offense in game two.
In the circle,
Kate Cleveland (DePere, Wis./Ashwaubenon) got the start and the win in four innings of work.
Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) came in for the final three innings, one-hitting the Firebirds while fanning five for her eighth save of the season.
With other Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games still being contested at the time this story was written, the race for the league title and seedings for the conference tournament have yet to be determined. Heading into the day, the Warhawks were third in the WIAC standings. More information on the WIAC Tournament will be posted when available.
