Box Score Whitewater, Wis. -- The No. 17 Warhawk softball team opened their home slate with a 7-1 victory over Carroll University Friday afternoon at the van Steenderen Softball Complex. Game two was halted in the top of the first as severe weather rolled in and eventually canceled. 

The home opener was a pitcher's duel until the UW-Whitewater offense exploded for six runs in the fourth. Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) sparked the offensive onslaught with a one-out single up the middle. With two outs, Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) drew a walk and Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South) took over running duties for Giese at second. Baley Berndt (Wausau, Wis./East) was tapped for a pinch hit appearance and took one for the team to load the bases on the hit-by-pitch. Liv Ybarra (Chicago, Ill./Taft) drew a five-hit walk for the pinch hit RBI. 

Following a pitching change for the Pioneers, Ellery Stoltz (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) was tapped to pinch hit with the bases still loaded. The freshman kept the offense rolling with a hard shot, base knock to center field that brought in two. On the next pitch, Rachel Radish (Merton, Wis./Arrowhead) sent the ball out twice as fast as it came in, blasting a no doubter over the fence in left for her first collegiate homer. 

Carroll responded with a solo shot in the top of the fifth, but the Warhawks came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) squeezed a hard shot just inside third base, motoring to second as the ball scooted all the way to the left field corner. Erin Grimsley (Itasca, Ill./Montini Catholic) took over for Peshia at second, advancing 60 feet on a groundout. In the next at bat, an infield grounded from Natalie Muellner (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) had the third baseman charging hard. She fielded but the speedy Grimsley easily won the foot race to score. Muellner booked it to first, leaving no play for the defense as UWW extended the gap back to six, 7-1. That score held the rest of the way. 

Radish paced the UW-Whitewater offense with a pair of hits - a double and a homer - and three RBI on the three-run jack. 

Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) picked up the win in the circle. The junior scattered six hits across six innings of work while striking out six and allowing a single run. Madi DeBennette (Wadsworth, Ill./Carmel Catholic) came in for the final frame, sending the Pioneers back to the dugout in order. 

The squads rushed to start game two, knowing inclement weather was nearby. The Warhawks secured the first two outs before pouring rain and lightning forced officials to halt the contest. After the weather cleared, the decision was made to cancel game two due to field conditions.