River Falls, Wis. -- The UW-Whitewater softball team clinched at least a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title with a pair of wins at UW-River Falls Saturday. The Warhawks won the opener 4-3 in eight innings and the nightcap 9-1 to improve to 33-5 on the season. UWW has two games remaining - a doubleheader at UW-Stout Sunday starting at noon - needing one win to clinch host rights for the conference tournament next week. 

Kiarra Kostroski (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) broke a UWW season record in her first at bat of the day. The senior drew a walk - her 29th of the 2025 campaign - to break the record that has stood for 10 years. Two innings later, Kostroski struck again. This time she launched a deep drive to left field for a solo blast to give the Warhawks a 1-0 lead. 

The Falcons responded in their half of the frame with a pair of runs on three hits. The 2-1 UWRF lead held until the seventh. 

Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) sparked the Warhawk bats with a leadoff double to left center. She was replaced on the base paths by the speedy Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South). Maggie Ward (Downers Grove, Ill./North) dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt and Claire Kohnle (Tisch Mills, Wis./Kewaunee) drove in Lapaek on a single through the left side to tie the game 2-2. 

Despite back-to-back singles for UW-River Falls to open the bottom of the inning, UWW's defense held - capitalizing on a popped up bunt that Kostroski hauled in for a double play to send the game into extras. 

Bella Eggert (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) put the pressue on and beat the shift, slapping a ball through the left side to open the inning. She moved up 60-feet on a wild pitch. With one out, Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) hit a grounder to short and the defense opted to try and get Eggert at third, but the speedster was too fast to put runners on the corners. After the second out, Peshia came up clutch with another double to her favorite spot on the day - the WIAC logo in left center. This one plated two runs to give the Warhawks a 4-2 advantage. 

UW-River Falls plated a single run on two hits and threatened with a runner on as the Falcons' three-hitter pushed to full count. Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) put the finishing touches on the game with a perfectly placed rise ball that had the batter waving at the ball for strike three. 

The Warhawks were outhit but had the advantage in the most important column - runs. Peshia bolstered the bats with two of UWW's four hits - both doubles. 

Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) tossed another gem going the first six innings in a no decision. Hock came in for the final two to register the win 6-1. 

Rolling with all of the momentum from the win, the Warhawks crushed 15 hits in game two. Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) opened the scoring on a RBI double to right center in the third. Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Peshia hit her target in left center once again for another two-RBI double and a 3-0 UWW lead. 

In the next inning, UW-Whitewater doubled-up, literally. Giese singled in one run before Wickman sent a rocket to the wall in left center for a two-RBI double and a 6-0 advantage. 

The sixth saw two more doubles and another run cross for UWW. Kostroski hit a laser down the left field line and Giese traded places with a rope that burned the left fielder to extend the gap to 7-0. 

In the top of the seventh, Ward pulled a ball to right field that caromed off the wall for a one-out triple. Keira Jarrett (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) executed on a pinch hit sacrifice fly. Liv Ybarra (Chicago, Ill./Taft) got in on the double action with a shot that went off the wall just under the scoreboard in right field. Brooke Mangler (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) followed with a single that allowed Ybarra to score for a 9-0 lead. 

The Falcons plated a single run on two hits in the bottom of the seventh, but Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) shut down the offense with back-to-back strikeouts. 

Seven of UW-Whitewater's 15 hits went for extra bases in the game included six doubles and Ward's triple. Giese was 3-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Wickman matched her three hits added two RBI and a run scored. 

Dick went the distance, tossing a complete game three-hitter (two of those hits came in the final inning) while striking out five to improve to 5-1 on the season.