After starting the season in Florida, Whitewater softball returned home to face Carroll in a double header. The Warhawks went 10-0 while in Florida and are happy to be back.
“It’s always nice to play in front of our home fans,” said head coach Brenda Volk. “It feels natural and comfortable. We have been out here since early February practicing and it’s always a great atmosphere.”
The Warhawks took game one in the series with a strong pitching performance from Maddy Anderson. Anderson threw a complete game shutout with six strikeouts and only gave up two hits.
“Even when they were barreling up balls they were hitting them right at our defense. Even if I threw a ball they could hit, it didn’t matter because my defense was going to back me up,” said Anderson.
The Warhawks got things started on offense in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single from Taylor Koehler. She would then advance on a sacrifice bunt. They would then get on the board as Megan Dunning would put the ball in play, creating the opportunity for a Carroll throwing error that would allow Koehler to advance home. Dunning was knocked in with a single from Kaitlyn Weidermann to make the score 2-0. The Warhawks would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a Kiarra Kostroski home run. The Warhawks won this one by a final score of 3-0.
Carroll jumped out to a quick start in game two with a quick 1-0 lead after a RBI single. Whitewater responded in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one. The offense would continue to stay hot getting help from the bottom of the order as Claire Kohnle would tally her second RBI of the game with a solo home run. Dunning would double in the same inning.
“I feel like we have a strong lineup one through nine,” Volk said. “Normally you are like I’m glad she’s up. But this year I don’t really care who is up because everyone on this team is able to hit.”
Weidermann drove Dunning in with a home run of her own to make it 4-1. Grace Wickman would add one last run for the Warhawks with an RBI double lifting the Warhawks to a 5-1 win.
Whitewater won’t return home for a while as they will now go on a eight game road trip starting in Kenosha where they will face Carthage College. Whitewater will then be back at home where they will open WIAC play April 13 against UW-Stout.
