The Warhawk softball team started the season on a hot streak beginning on March 17 in Clermont, Florida. The ’Hawks started the trip winning five straight games, starting the season sweeping Roger Williams out of Rhode Island with a combined score of 13-1 through two games.

The ’Hawks finished the trip with a bounce back win over Hendrix University out of Arkansas, after suffering a defeat to St. Thomas 10-2. This win brought the team’s overall record to 10-2, good enough to be ranked No. 21 in the country.

The ’Hawks are looking to rebound after a little bit of a down year in 2016. The ’Hawks went 29-14 overall last season while only going 8-5 in conference. That 8-5 record was only good enough for fourth in the WIAC, the team’s lowest finish in the last five seasons.

The Warhawks are determined to be better and had many standouts on this road trip as the team was busting the guts out of the ball. The ’Hawks batters hit .347 as a team, while scoring 84 runs. The ’Hawks also have six of the nine regular starters hitting over .300.

Some of the top performers for the ’Hawks were junior outfielder Mallory Klotz, senior first baseman Amy Ricci and sophomore outfielder Caitlin Catino. It’s hard enough to hit .300 in a season, but the three of their bats combined make up a murderers row that would make the 1927 Yankees blush, as all three managed to hit over .430 on
the trip.

Klotz’s bat was smoking hot as she managed to go 20-35 for a .571 average through 12 games. Klotz claimed 19 total bases, while she also drove in nine runs. Klotz had eight extra-base hits on the trip, including two home runs and
two triples.

Ricci was also abusing opposing pitchers as she was 20-43 for a .465 average, driving in a team best 16 runs. Tied for the team-high with 20 hits, Ricci also had a team best six doubles on the road trip.

Ricci and Klotz weren’t the only ones seeing the ball well on the road trip. Catino was also tearing the cover off the ball in Florida as she was 17-39 for a .436 average, tying Ricci with a team high of six doubles. Catino also drove in nine runs on the road trip.

The ’Hawks will hope to keep the hot streak alive as the team begins WIAC play with a home doubleheader vs. UW-La Crosse on April 1 starting at 2 p.m.