No. 23 UW-Whitewater split their doubleheader against No. 20 UW Oshkosh in a matchup of two of Division III softball’s nationally ranked teams.
The WIAC rivals delivered an entertaining series for both fan bases alike. The Titans delivered a dominating 13-2 win in five innings after forcing the run-ahead rule, while the Warhawks won 6-5 in game two following junior third baseman Grace Wickman’s walk-off two-run RBI double.
“Game one was a little tough, but you gotta focus on the good,” Wickman said. “That’s what we’re trying to focus on right now and build off that energy.”
Whitewater’s two errors in game one lead to a huge swing of momentum for Oshkosh offensively.
“You have to give Oshkosh credit,” head coach Brenda Volk said. “It’s always a good matchup between us two.”
Sophomore left fielder Maggie Ward and sophomore first baseman Taylor Koehler contributed one RBI for the Warhawks in game one.
The Warhawks responded in game two as Wickman finished with three hits in four at-bats and two RBIs and freshman catcher JJ Jakosalem contributed two RBIs.
“I’ve never been on a team with more energy than us – on and off the field,” Jakosalem said. “Crazy, energetic. Just a good bond overall.”
Whitewater came into the matchup off a 3-1 weekend by splitting their Saturday, April 13 series against UW-Stout and sweeping Elmhurst College the next day, shutting them out in both games.
They capped off the week by sweeping a doubleheader at Eau Claire with an 11-1 victory in five innings and a 5-2 win in extras innings. The Warhawks are now 19-5 with a 4-2 mark against WIAC opponents, putting them in the middle of the conference standings.
The Warhawks head to UW-Platteville Tuesday, April 23, to take on the Pioneers in a crucial WIAC matchup. Whitewater won the last four matchups between the two, most recently beating them in last year’s WIAC tournament.
“The energy has been consistent every single day,” Volk said. “They have a ton of fun in there and they really support each other…they believe in themselves and they know they can do it.”
The Warhawks look to expand upon their momentum after their walk-off win against their conference rival as the WIAC tournament begins May 9.
“One thing that sticks out to me is our bonds off the field,” Wickman said. “There’s not one person I don’t trust, and I feel as though other girls can say the same about everyone else.”
