MADISON, WISC. - A slight adjustment to the Madison College softball schedule may have been well-timed for the team's hottest hitter, as Ashley Kniesel powered the WolfPack to a sweep of Bryant & Stratton College in the 2018 home opener at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field on Wednesday. Though originally scheduled for a day later on Thursday, the twin allowed the sophomore to build off a big hitting day on Tuesday at South Suburban College with a 4 for 6 effort that included four runs scored and two batted in as the 'Pack downed the Bobcats by scores of 6-1 and 10-7 to push their current win streak to four games. The two contests marked the first ever games against the Bobcats, who are in their first year of competition.

Game #1: Madison College (RV) 6, Bryant & Stratton College 1 (7 innings)

Playing on the home turf for the first time this season, Madison College got off to a sluggish start and fell behind 1-0 in the third inning. The unearned run scored as a result of an error by freshman Hannah Grahl at shortstop. The home team's bats eventually woke up and took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning. Sophomore Claire Brzenk  and Grahl opened the frame with back-to-back walks, and both raced in to score on a ground ball in play by Ashley Kniesel that was misplayed by Bryant & Stratton. Brittany Bredemann followed with a single up the middle to plate Kniesel for a 3-1 advantage. In the fifth, consecutive singles by Brzenk and Grahl produced yet another run, and a two-run double to center by sophomore Ashley Burg in the sixth provided the final differential.



In the circle, first year arm Alli Walker (5-1) picked up her team-leading fifth victory with a six-inning afternoon that produced seven strikeouts and allowed four hits and the one unearned run. The Portage, Wisconsin, native leads the 'Pack with 58 strikeouts and 45.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Hannah Wienen struck out the side in the seventh to finish the victory.

Kniesel registered a pair of hits, with the Waterloo, Wisconsin, native also posting two runs scored and two batted in to tie for team-high honors in all three categories. Grahl tallied two hits, Brzenk scored twice, and Burg drove in a pair.

Game #2: Madison College (RV) 10, Bryant & Stratton College 7 (7 innings)

Madison College put up a pair of big offensive innings early in the second game, which provided just enough breathing room to hold off a late rally by the Bobcats (1-11-1). The scoring began in the bottom of the second when the WolfPack batted around and tallied five runs on five hits and a walk. Ashley Kniesel and freshman Nicole Ferch each singled around a double by pitcher Riley Landenberger, with Ferch earning a RBI on her base knock. After Landenberger scored on a Bre Feiler sacrifice, freshman Olivia Bancroft-Hart tripled down the line in left to plate Ferch. A groundout to second base by Maegan Brookins in the next at bat pushed the lead to 4-0 ahead of a steal of home by Paige Cornelissen to cap the scoring.

Bryant & Stratton put their first run on the board in the top half of the third, but the 'Pack came right back to tack on four more. The inning began with another extra base hit from Landenberger, this time a three-bagger, and she would score on Feiler's hard single back up the middle. Sophomore pinch hitter Katelin Gilbertson roped a two-RBI single through the left side and fellow second year Ali Braddock did the same to the right side for another run to push the advantage to 9-1. 

The eight-run edge was nearly not enough as the Bobcats began to rally with two runs in the fourth against Landenberger, who would leave the game due to an injury on the bases in the next half inning. In the sixth, relief pitcher Emily Wiederholt found herself in trouble after a leadoff walk and four singles closed the gap to 9-7. Coach Leo Kalinowski turned to Hannah Wienen out of the bullpen to end the threat, which the sophomore did. Madison College produced an extra insurance run in the sixth when Ferch followed a Kniesel leadoff triple with a single to make it a three-run game. Wienen returned to in the seventh to finish the victory despite a pair of walks.

Landenberger (5-1) pulled even with Alli Walker for the team-lead in wins despite three earned runs on four hits and two strikeouts over four innings. Wiederholt surrendered four earned runs on four hits, a walk, and two K's in less than two innings.

Kniesel extended her hitting streak with a fourth-consecutive two-hit performance. The sophomore went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, and is batting .667 (8-12) with seven runs scored and four driven in. Before leaving with the injury, Landenberger was red hot at the plate, going 3 for 3 with two extra base hits and two runs scored. Two others finished with multi-hit games. Bancroft-Hart joined Kniesel and Landenberger with two runs scored, while Gilbertson, Ferch,and Feiler all drove in a pair.

Up Next:

Madison College (20-5) will take the weekend off before returning to action on Tuesday, April 3 with the North Central Community Collegiate Conference opener at the College of DuPage (8-10). The WolfPack, who are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA DII Poll, are just 12-24 all-time against the NJCAA Division III Chaparrals, who sit at #10 in the NJCAA DIII Poll. The two teams met at the N4C Dome Jamboree in early March, an 8-2 game won by the 'Pack, the league front-runner. First pitch in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is at 3:00 p.m., with game two to start at approximately 5:00 p.m.

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