Whitewater, Wis. -- The UW-Whitewater softball team honored its eight seniors and welcomed back the Warhawk alumni with a doubleheader sweep of UW-River Falls on a beautiful day at the van Steenderen Softball Complex. UWW took game one 6-2 and registered a five-inning, 10-0 run-rule win in the nightcap.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the top of the first with a single run. UW-Whitewater responded in a big way over the next two innings. In the bottom of the second,
Rachel Radish (Merton, Wis./Arrowhead) took one for the team to open the frame. She advanced to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. A defensive miscue on the next at bat brought in the first run of the game for UWW. It was deja vu as
Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) advanced on a groundout and then to third on a wild pitch.
JJ Jakosalem (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove) walked and
Kaitlyn Weidemann (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) capitalized with a two-RBI double to right center for the 3-1 lead.
UW-River Falls added another run on a solo homer in the third but the UW-Whitewater offense was ready. In the bottom of the frame,
Maggie Ward (Downers Grove, Ill./North) legged out a bunt single as the leadoff.
Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) drew a walk and
Ellery Stoltz (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) took over on the base paths. A wild pitch had both Warhawks in scoring position. Radish took the first two pitches for balls before connecting on a no-doubter to center field for the three-run bomb and a 6-2 UWW lead.
Radish paced the offense with a 2-2 game at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. In the circle,
Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) picked up the win striking out six while allowing five hits in six innings.
Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) shutdown the Falcons with a pair of K's in the final inning.
The bats kept on rolling into game two.
Bella Eggert (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) led off the bottom of the first with an infield single. Two batters later, Peshia sent a rocket out to center field for the two-run four-bagger. Radish provided the restart with another infield single. This time it was
Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) with the long ball for the 4-0 lead.
UW-Whitewater broke it wide open in the bottom of the third with six runs on five hits. Giese,
Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South), Weidemann, Ward and Peshia all singled in the frame. Peshia also drew a walk along with Roberson while
Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) took one for the team in a pinch hit appearance. Koehler showcased her wheels late in the inning scoring from second on a textbook slide into the plate, swiping her hand across the plate as the catcher reached for the tag.
Peshia, Giese and Lapacek all had multiple hits in the game. Peshia and Giese were a perfect 2-2 combining for four runs and five RBI.
Kaitlyn Marsh (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) held the Falcon hitters at bay scattering three hits across 4.2 innings of work. Hock came in for her second appearance on the day, getting the final out on a fly ball to right field.
