UW-Whitewater softball began WIAC play by splitting their doubleheader matchup against the UW-Stout Blue Devils over a windy weekend in Whitewater.
Game One
The Warhawks won game one by a blistering 8-0 after Stout committed two costly errors that allowed Whitewater to score 3 runs. Graduate student pitcher Maddy Anderson led the way defensively by striking out 9 batters in 5 innings pitched.
“She’s got a good presence out there,” head coach Brenda Volk said. “When Maddy’s on the mound, you always feel like you have a chance to win.”
Leading off the bottom of the 4th inning, Anderson also jump started a Whitewater offensive barrage that saw the Warhawks come away with 4 hits and 6 runs in the half-inning.
“When one person starts hitting, it’s really contagious in the dugout,” Anderson said. “Our bats just came alive.”
Anderson finished game one picking up her fifth win on the season as a pitcher, improving to 5-0 on the season. Offensively, she finished with 2 hits in 3 at-bats to go along with 1 RBI.
“(Anderson’s) always got a chance to change the game at the plate, too,” Volk said. “Without the wind, she would’ve definitely hit a home run today.”
Game Two
After the shootout in the first game, Stout grinded their way to a 2-1 victory over the Warhawks in game two after 2 errors from Whitewater.
Blue Devils junior shortstop Alexa Anderson scored off freshman catcher Abbey Dusterhoft’s sacrifice bunt in the top of the 5th inning for Stout, followed by graduate student pitcher Mackensie Wolterstorff scoring on a single to right-center field from senior second baseman Katelyn Belleau.
Whitewater junior center fielder Meghan Dunning nearly tied the game in the bottom of the
5th inning after junior right fielder Kiarra Kostroski singled up the middle, but a strong effort by Stout’s sophomore center fielder Payton Dolecki threw Dunning out at home.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the 6th, Warhawks sophomore first baseman Taylor Koehler brought the Warhawks within a run after doubling to right field and sending junior third baseman Grace Wickman home to score.
“(Koehler) was swinging the bat good all day,” Volk said. “You should be able to give up a run or two and still be able to win with the offense we had, but there’s never just one thing. I’m glad we had the opportunity to tie it up at the end.”
Whitewater junior pitcher Rhiann Dick struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings pitched aga
inst the Blue Devils.
“Our pitchers did their jobs,” Koehler said. “As a defense, we just have to back them up.”
Koehler finished the second game with a hit and an RBI in three plate appearances.
“My key is just learning from errors,” Volk said. “I think we’re doing great things…but I got to give Stout credit. They were playing great defense and had good throws whenever we were trying to score.”
Looking Ahead
The Warhawks started off winning their first 13 games after starting the season in Clermont, Florida at the 2024 THE Spring Games.
“I feel like we played better today than we did since we’ve been back in Wisconsin,” Volk said after their doubleheader against UW-Stout. “There’s so much season left…the potential is there. We just got to keep building.
Competition ramps up even further with WIAC play underway. Whitewater sits at 16-4 following Sunday’s doubleheader against Elmhurst University, sitting at fourth in the WIAC standings.
“Our conference is really tough,” Volk said. “I told (the team), ‘Everybody’s going to beat everybody, so one loss isn’t going to kill us.’”
The Warhawks take on the undefeated UW Oshkosh Titans (22-0, 2-0 WIAC) at home in a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader. Whitewater swept Oshkosh in their previous doubleheader on the road last year, winning 12-1 and 7-3, respectively.
