The Madison College softball team, now members of NJCAA Division II, got off to a good start this past weekend at The Dome at the Ballpark in Rosemount, IL at the N4C Dome Jamboree. The team won their first three games before suffering a loss to the defending NJCAA Division III Champion Rock Valley College Golden Eagles. Prior to Rock Valley, Madison defeated the College of DuPage, Joliet Junior College, and Harper College. In their final two games the WolfPack beat Waubonsee Community College and Triton College to begin their 2015 campaign with a 5-1 overall record, including 4-1 in the North Central Community College Conference (N4C).
 
Overall, the WolfPack went 62-for-157 for a .395 batting average. The 'Pack had 16 extra base hits, 52 runs scored, and 43 RBI in six games at the N4C Dome Jamboree. The 16 extra base hits were split evenly with eight doubles and eight triples for 86 total bases and a .548 slugging percentage. Madison also recorded two sacrifice flies and four sacrifice hits, as well as notching 10 steals in 12 attempts. The team was also effective on the mound as they recorded a 3.40 ERA spanning 35 innings. Madison's opponents had a 6.43 ERA. The 'Pack also saw three complete games pitched, including one shutout, and 17 strikeouts.
 
Game #1 - Madison College (8) - College of DuPage (0)
Game Recap - In the season opener on Friday afternoon against the College of DuPage Chaparrals, Madison used an eight run second inning on their way to shutting out the Chaparrals, 8-0. Jesse Steindorf got the team on the board with an RBI walk and the WolfPack kept adding on in the rout.
 
Stats of Note - Brianna Guenther led the offense and went 3-for-3 at the plate, added a triple, a run scored, and one RBI. Sadie Holmes went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI while Paige Giese also batted 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Brianna Smith went 1-for-2 with a team-leading two RBI and one run scored. Winning pitcher Jenalee Wilson pitched a great game out of the gate only giving up two hits in five shutout innings. Wilson also recorded four strikeouts in the win.
 
Game #2 - Madison College (16) - Joliet Junior College (12)
Game Recap - The Joliet Junior College Wolves scored three runs in the bottom of the first and third innings and held a 6-4 lead over the WolfPack before Madison posted four runs in the top of the fourth inning to grab the 8-6 lead. The Wolves tied up the game 8-8 with two runs in the fifth inning before the 'Pack scored four runs in the top of the sixth to take back the lead, 12-8. The 'Pack also scored four more runs in the top of the seventh inning for the 16-8 lead. Joliet managed to score four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, but the WolfPack held on.
 
Stats of Note - Cheyenne Holmes led the 16 run WolfPack offense in her 5-for-5 day at the plate. She also added a double and a triple, three runs scored, and two RBI. Kayla Crump was right behind Holmes with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, with two runs scored and one RBI. Crump also added two steals. Breanna Guenther was next in line with a 3-for-5 night at the dish, a triple, a team-high four RBI and two runs scored. Ashley Marshall was the last member of the 'Pack to register at least two hits as she went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a RBI. Jessie Steindorf and Brianna Smith both added triples as the WolfPack belted out three in the game, and the duo also each recorded two RBI. As a team, the 'Pack recorded 18 hits, 16 runs scored, 13 RBI, and five extra base hits. Ashley Stormer started the game and threw two innings from the mound, while allowing three unearned runs and recording two strikeouts. Casey Beckwith relieved her and picked up the win after five solid innings of work. She recorded three strikeouts in the win.
 
Game #3 - Madison College (10) - Harper College (2)
Game Recap - In their third game of the N4C Dome Jamboree, the Harper College Hawks got on the board first with two runs in the top of the second inning. Madison reacted instantly and trumped the Hawks with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take a lead they would never relinquish. The WolfPack then scored four more runs in the third inning for the 7-2 lead and added three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to go up by eight runs and end the game with the run rule in effect, 10-2.
 
Stats of Note - Fittingly Nicole Hoffmann ended the game as one of the leading hitters for the 'Pack. Hoffmann drove in the first Madison College run of the game and ended the matchup with the Hawks with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. She also recorded a team-high four RBI, scored two runs, and tripled in the win. Cheyenne Holmes also added two hits in her 2-for-2 game, while scoring two runs. Five other members of the 'Pack each added one hit, and the duo of Paige Giese and Sadie Holmes joined Nicole Hoffmann and Cheyenne Holmes in scoring two runs. Jessie Steindorf added a double for Madison, and Kayla Crump recorded two more steals. Courtney Boss went the distance on the mound in picking up her first win of the season. She scattered eight hits in her six innings of work in the 10-2 game.
 
Game #4 - Madison College (0) - Rock Valley College (11)
Game Recap - After three straight N4C wins, the Madison College softball team finally suffered a loss as they ran into the buzzsaw that is the Rock Valley College Golden Eagles. The top ranked Golden Eagles made no doubts to why they are a great team by scoring three runs in the top half of the first. The 3-0 lead would be enough as the WolfPack were held to three hits and shutout in Saturday's second game. The Golden Eagles did add four runs in both the third and fifth innings for good measure.
 
Stats of Note - Paige Giese led the WolfPack attack as she finished the game 2-for-2 at the plate. Breanna Guenther also added a double in her 1-for-2 day, and Savannah Hauglid walked. Starter Casey Beckwith picked up the loss in three innings of work before being replaced by Ashley Stormer. Stormer pitched the final two innings.
 
Game #5 - Madison College (6) - Waubonsee Community College (5)
Game Recap - With the loss behind them, Madison College rebounded by winning a back and forth non-conference game, 6-5, over Waubonsee Community College. Madison grabbed the early lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning, and then both offenses went silent for two innings. Waubonsee grabbed the 3-1 lead after scoring three runs in the top half of the fifth, but that lead wouldn't last long. The WolfPack offense came alive and tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning. All knotted up 3-3, Waubonsee struck again with two runs to start the sixth inning. The WolfPack answered right back again as they plated three runs in the bottom half of the frame. The home WolfPack and starter Jenalee Wilson then set down Waubonsee 1-2-3 to preserve the 6-5 win.
 
Stats of Note - Three Madison College players all recorded two hits in the win, as the trio of Sadie Holmes, Breanna Guenther, and Ashley Marshall all went 2-for-3 at the plate. Holmes and Marshall both lead the team with two RBI, and Marshall scored a team-high two runs. Ashley Marshall also recorded one of the team's two extra base hits as she tripled, and Breanna Guenther added a double. Jenalee Wilson picked up her second win of the season as she scattered 11 hits in seven innings, and only surrendered three earned runs. She also added six strikeouts in the complete game.
 
Game #6 - Madison College (12) - Waubonsee Community College (3)
Game Recap - The Madison College softball team returned to N4C action in a big way as they defeated the Triton College Trojans 12-3 in five innings. Triton got on the board in the early going to grab their only lead of the game, but Madison answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to capture the lead. That 2-1 lead was good enough, but Madison tacked on six runs in the second, two in the third, and two in the fourth after Triton scored two in their half of the fourth. Triton was blanked in the fifth inning, and the game ended with the run rule in effect.
 
Stats of Note - Madison's well-balanced attack at the plate saw four players all record two hits. Sadie Holmes (2-for-2), Nicole Hoffmann (2-for-2), Breanna Guenther (2-for-3), and Paige Giese (2-for-4) accounted for eight of the WolfPack's 14 hits. The team also belted out five extra base hits, including doubles by Breanna Guenther, Nicole Hoffmann, and Brianna Smith; and triples by Paige Giese and Cheyenne Holmes. Hoffmann was also the leader with three RBI, and the duo of Holmes and Guenther each scored two runs. Besides a strong offensive attack, the WolfPack recorded six steals as a team. Sadie Holmes led the way with two thefts, and Breanna Guenther, Brianna Smith, Ashley Marshall, and Kiana Smith all recorded one steal. Courtney Boss started the game on the mound for the 'Pack and pitched three solid innings only allowing one run to go along with two strikeouts. Ashley Stormer relieved Boss and picked up the win. In two innings, Boss scattered four hits and allowed two runs (one earned).