The Harper College Hawks took game one of the NJCAA Region IV Tournament Play-in series 6-3, before edging out the WolfPack softball team in extra innings in game two, 11-8. With the two victories the Harper College Hawks won the best of three series for a chance to compete in the NJCAA Region IV Tournament; and subsequently ended the WolfPack's season. The WolfPack remained winless on the year but the extra inning game in the season finale illustrates how far the team has come.
Madison College number one starter Kassandra Kluge was roughed up in the first inning allowing for Hawk runs, but settled down after that and only gave up solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The WolfPack remained hitless until Kluge's fourth inning single and scoreless until garnering three runs in the seventh inning off of the Harper starter. Amber Clifcorn started off the mini rally for the WolfPack with a single, and after recording an out, the Harper pitcher walked Heather Hornback to give Madison runners on first and second. Jessica Spern's booted grounder to the second baseman gave Madison their first run of the game and Tena Funmaker's sacrifice fly to left field plated Hornback to give the visiting WolfPack their second run of the game. After Amanda Helgesen's RBI single scored Spern to make it a three run ballgame, the Hawk's starter finished off the WolfPack by striking out Gabrielle Komprood to secure the 6-3 win in the play-in game.
The second region play-in game started very different than the first for the WolfPack as they snatched the 2-0 lead after the first inning when Heather Hornback's double scored Kassandra Kluge and Athena Brabant who both had reached on walks.
After a scoreless inning for the WolfPack in the top of the second, the Hawks took the lead and started the see-saw battle when they scored three runs of their own off of Madison starter Gabrielle Komprood. Madison College tied the game the next inning 3-3 when Kaley Dorshorst who reached on an error, scored on another blunder by the Hawks. After Komprood hurled a scoreless frame in the bottom half of the inning, Madison College jumped on top 6-3 with three scores in the top of the fourth. Lindsay Arndt's single scored Amanda Helgesen for the first run of the inning and Kaley Dorshorst followed with a two run homer.
The Hawks from Harper College narrowed the lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth before the 'Pack got on the board again in the sixth inning when Arndt's sacrifice fly forced in Kate Jonas. Up 7-5, Madison College's Komprood surrendered three Hawk runs in the bottom of the sixth to give Harper the 8-7 lead before the WolfPack scored a run in the seventh when Amber Clifcorn scored on another costly Harper error. Retied at 8-8, Komprood looked to silence the Hawks' bats and give her WolfPack another crack at it, but the home team had other ideas when they scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to end Madison's playoff hopes.
After the two Region IV play-in losses to Harper College, the WolfPack softball team finishes their season 0-33. Fortunately the WolfPack gave the Hawks a run for their money and played one of their best games of the season, albeit in losing fashion.
