ROSEMONT, ILL. - The best start to a season in program history opened with a monumental upset of the four-time defending NJCAA Division III national champions and continued with five more wins as the Madison College softball team went a perfect 6-0 at the N4C Dome Jamboree over the weekend. Eighth year head coach Leo Kalinowski and the WolfPack outscored the opposition by a margin of 70-9 over three days inside the The Dome at the Ballpark outside of Chicago. After pulling off two upset wins over ranked teams on Friday, the 'Pack then put together four consecutive run-rule victories, capped by a pair of shutouts on Sunday.

Game #1: Madison College 4, #1 Rock Valley College 1 (Friday)

For the second consecutive year, Madison College opened the season against #1-ranked Rock Valley College, and made a major statement for the 2018 season with a victory that ended a 14-game losing skid against the Golden Eagles (0-1). Freshman Alli Walker (1-0) was masterful in her collegiate debut in the circle. The Portage, Wisconsin, native held the potent RVC offense to one earned run on four hits and five walks over seven innings of work. Walker was aided by a WolfPack defense that did not commit an error for the first dozen innings of the season.

After Rock Valley failed to tally a run with runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, Madison College took the lead with a four-run third inning. Sophomore Claire Brzenk and freshman Sam Schloegl each singled to open the frame and then scored on first year infielder Hannah Grahl's triple to center. Two pitches later, second year catcher Katelin Gilbertson smashed the season's first home run, a two-run blast that made it 4-0. The Golden Eagles scored their lone run in the sixth and could only muster a leadoff double in the seventh before Walker closed the game with a pair of groundouts sandwiched around her 11th strikeout of the day.

Grahl, a former three-time WIAA state champion at Laconia HS, went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and another scored in her first game with the 'Pack. Gilbertson's fifth career homer also gave her two RBI and a run scored. four others were credited with a hit for Madison College.

Game #2: Madison College 8, #10 College of DuPage 2 (Friday)

Feeding off the momentum of one of the biggest wins in program history, Madison College kept the momentum going en route to a six-run defeat of the tenth-ranked Chaparrals. Once again, the WolfPack received some superb pitching with sophomore Riley Landenberger (1-0) going seven innings with a single earned run on four hits, a walk, and six strikeouts to hand COD its first loss of the season.

Sam Schloegl and Hannah Grahl each singled in the first, setting up a perfectly executed double steal that put Madison College on the board. The very next pitch saw freshman Morgyn DeLara rip a triple to center to score Grahl, and then continue to race around the bases to score a run herself after an error by the centerfielder. The inning's final run was the result of a Landenberger triple followed by a Dany Gumz single to make it 4-0. Schloegl and Grahl teamed up again in the second with back-to-back singles to manufacture a 5-0 advantage. Madison College made it a six-run lead in the fifth when Gumz drove in Olivia Bancroft-Hart with a groundout to the left side. After DuPage (2-1) ended the shutout bid in the sixth, the 'Pack added two more in the sixth with run-scoring singles from Grahl and Delara. 

Grahl and Schloegl each posted three-hit performances, with the latter scoring two runs and the former going for two runs scored and two batted in. DeLara and Gumz each had two RBI, with DeLara, a native of Delavan, Wisconsin, producing a pair of hits as part of a 13-hit day for the 'Pack, who have won three straight and eight of the last ten against DuPage.

Game #3: Madison College 16, Harper College 3 (Saturday)

The bats remained red hot into Day Two when Madison College recorded the first of four consecutive five-inning victories via run rule. The WolfPack scored multiple runs in each of their four innings at bat, starting with a two-run first. Hannah Grahl doubled home former Wilmot HS athlete Sam Schloegl, and then scored on Ali Braddock's first RBI single of the season. Three runs were added in the second, two of which came off the bat of Claire Brzenk on a single up the middle. The lead grew to 9-0 after three innings when Ashley Burg and Grahl both recorded two-RBI singles. The game moved out of reach with a seven spot in the fourth inning that was the result of three hits, four walks, one hit by pitch, and an error.

Nine different players had a hit for Madison College, which was led by three players with two hits each. Grahl paced the offense with her third straight multi-hit game, posting a season-high four runs batted in and scoring one run on two base hits. Brzenk went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, and freshman Brittany Bredemann was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.

In the circle, sophomore Hannah Wienen (1-0) picked up the win with three unearned runs on four hits, two walks, and eight K's. The runs all came in the fifth inning after an error and two ground outs. Madison College has won 11 consecutive games and 17 of the last 19 with Harper.

Game #4: Madison College 13, Triton College 3 (Saturday)

Against the Trojans (0-4), both teams scored two runs in their halves of the first inning. Madison College struck first with a leadoff triple by Wilmot, Wisconsin, native Sam Schloegl, who scored on a wild pitch. Hannah Grahl doubled two batters later and then scored on sophomore Ashley Kniesel's single to left. Triton got to second year hurler Emily Wiederholt (1-0) early with a walk, single, and double in their first three batters to help pull even at 2-2. However, the WolfPack answered with a runs in the second and third before a second consecutive seven-run fourth inning blew the game wide open at 11-3. Of the eight hits in the inning, four went for extra bases, including a two-RBI double by freshman Paige Cornelissen, back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Morgyn DeLara and Kniesel, and a run-producing triple off the bat of second year Bre Feiler. The game ended in the fifth after the 'Pack tacked on two more runs, the first of which came on a solo home run by freshman outfielder Kylie Endres.

The WolfPack finished with seven extra base hits out of 15 total hits. Schloegl went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one batted in. DeLara, Kniesel, and Feiler also had two-hit efforts, with Kniesel and Feiler joining Cornelissen for the team lead in runs batted in with two. Grahl had a team-best three runs scored.

Wielderholt, a native of Cuba City, Wisconsin, went five innings on five hits and five walks, allowing two earned runs. The righthander struck out nine to help Madison College improve to 15-10 all-time against Triton College, including a 13-8 mark in conference play.

Game #5: Madison College 9, Joliet Junior College 0 (Sunday)

Sunday's first game against Joliet Junior College (4-1) proved to be a challenge early, with neither team crossing the plate for the first three innings. But after the WolfPack offense provided some separation, the focus turned to pitcher Alli Walker (2-0). Walker did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth, when she surrendered a two-out single up the middle. It would prove to be her only blemish of the day as she picked up her first career shutout. The one-hitter was accompanied by a single walk and ten strikeouts, giving the first year hurler 21 K's through her first two starts.

The scoreless game turned in the fourth when Madison College opened the top half with a single and three consecutive doubles to take a 3-0 lead. A fourth two-bagger off Brittany Bredemann's bat drove in the fourth run before the inning's sixth base hit made it 5-0. The game ended after a four-run fifth made it 9-0. Katelin Gilbertson, up with the bases loaded, cleared them with a double to left and then scored on Ashley Burg's base knock through the middle.

Four players tallied two hits in the game. Gilbertson's 2-for-3 day including a career-best four runs batted in and one scored. Grahl and DeLara both had two hits and two runs scored, while Bredemann was 2-for-3 with a run scored and one batted in. Kniesel used a hit and a base on balls to generate two runs and two more batted in.

It's the 19th consecutive win over the Wolves, a streak that dates back to 2013.

Game #6: Madison College 20, Milwaukee Area Technical College 0 (Sunday)

The tournament finale saw Madison College post the most runs (20) and hits (20) in a game in school history. The WolfPack posted 13 runs in the first inning to put the game away early, using seven hits, seven walks, four steals, and a wild pitch. Leading 14-0 entering the fourth, the 'Pack jacked back-to-back home runs to go up by 17. Freshman and Muskego, Wisconsin, native Maddie Krafcheck followed Nicole Ferch's leadoff single with a bomb to right field for her first career homer. Fellow first year Dany Gumz from Marshall, Wisconsin, then sent an 0-2 pitch beyond the centerfield wall for her first career home run.

Ten of the WolfPack's 20 hits went for extra bases, including two doubles and a triple by Riley Landenberger. The second year infielder was 3-for-3 with a team-best four RBI and two runs scored. Kylie Endres, from DeForest, Wisconsin, also went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and driving in two. Two players, Ferch and Gumz, both went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. Ferch tallied three RBI and two runs scored, while Gumz ended with three of each. Four players scored three runs, three tallied three RBI. In all, five players had multiple hits, seven had multiple runs scored, and seven had multiple runs batted in.

In the circle, starter Mackenzie Terrill (1-0) earned her first win of the season with three innings of three hit ball. The sophomore did not allow a run or a walk while striking out six batters. Gumz entered in relief to pitch the final two innings, which she did in perfect fashion with no hits and four K's.

Up Next:

Madison College (6-0) will take it's six-game winning streak to the Sunshine State for its annual Florida Spring Trip that starts on Friday, March 9 and concludes on Friday, March 16. The WolfPack will play 13 games over seven days against teams from NJCAA Divisions II and III, as well as one NCAA Division III JV squad. 

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