Whitewater, Wis. -- The UW-Whitewater softball team picked up a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins over UW-La Crosse as the Warhawks honored the 2025 seniors Saturday at the van Steenderen Softball Complex. UWW took game one 9-3 and held on for an 8-6 win in the nightcap. 

Following the doubleheader, UW-Whitewater honored seniors Ally Dietz (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community), Claire Kohnle (Tisch Mills, Wis./Kewaunee), Ava Kostecki (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township), Kiarra Kostrsoki, Brooke Mangler (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo). 

The Warhawks got the bats going with two out in the bottom of the first. Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) sparked the offense with a single to center before Wickman hit a laser to third base that nearly took the defenders glove off for a second straight base knock. Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) capitalized connecting on a deep drive that had even the left fielder turning to watch it fly over the fence. Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) drew a walk and Claire Kohnle (Tisch Mills, Wis./Kewaunee) tagged the second four-bagger of the inning - a two-run homer that cleared the left field wall - for a 5-0 lead. 

The Eagles plated a run in the third before adding two in the fourth to cut the gap to two. 

UWW responded in a big way with another big bat. Kaitlynn Weidemann doubled down the left field line to leadoff the inning. In the next at bat, Bella Eggert (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) showcased her speed, legging out an infield single. Kostroski launched a no-doubter to left center for another three-run bomb and an 8-3 lead. 

The Warhawks' final run of the contest came on Dietz's pinch hit RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth. 

Weidemann was 2-3 in the game while Peshia and Kostroski each registered three RBI. 

Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) got the start and the 'W'. She struck out seven in four innings of work. Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) closed the game, fanning five while allowing just two hits in three shutout innings. 

UW-La Crossed plated the first run of the game in the top of the first, but UWW responded in the bottom of the frame as Giese singled down the left field line to drive in Eggert and tie the game 1-1. 

In the seccond, the Warhawks capitalized on three Eagle miscues to score four runs and take a 4-1 lead in the game. 

The Eagles added a single run in each of the next three innings to tie the game 4-4 after five complete. 

In the bottom of the sixth, UWW got the bats going again as Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) tagged a one-out single. Weidemann made it back-to-back base hits and Keira Jarrett (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) came up clutch. Her pinch hit base knock allowed the speedy Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South) to score from second. Kostrsoki took the very next pitch down the right field line for a two-RBI single to make it 7-4. 

A couple of Warhawk miscues and a few Eagle hits had the lead cut back to two, 8-6 in the top of the seventh, but UWW held on for the win. 

Giese bolstered the offense with a 2-4 game at the dish. 

Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) went the first three innings in the circle striking out three while allowing just two earned runs. Hock took over and tossed the next 3.2 to tally the win. Hammen came in late to pick up her third save of the season.