MADISON, WISC. - Playing as the number one seed in the region may have been unfamiliar territory for the Madison College softball team, however, defeating Kishwaukee College in a quarterfinal series is becoming an all-too-familiar part of the postseason. On Wednesday, the top-seeded WolfPack, who are ranked #9 in the NJCAA Division II Poll, dispensed of the eighth-seeded Kougars with wins of 5-2 and 9-1 in the NJCAA Region IV Division II District B Quarterfinals best-of-three series to advance to the NJCAA Region IV Division II District B Tournament in Freeport, Illinois, this weekend.

Game #1: (1) Madison College 5, (8) Kishwaukee College 2 (7 innings)

After just three batters, Madison College owned a 1-0 lead when freshman Paige Cornelissen singled in sophomore Sam Schloegl in the first inning. The WolfPack had a chance for a big inning, but left the bases loaded when Dany Gumz grounded out to second. The Kougars, who were eliminated by the 'Pack in back-to-back quarterfinals in 2015 and 2016, answered with a run in the second off freshman starter Alli Walker, but the home team answered with a two-spot in the home half. Brittany Bredemann scored on a Claire Brzenk groundout, and Cornelissen registered her second RBI single to make it 3-1. It became 5-1 in the fourth after consecutive sacrifice fly outs by Cornelissen and Hannah Grahl.

Walker (13-2) posted six strong innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts to record her seven straight win. Sophomore Mackenzie Terrill entered in the seventh and gave up an unearned run on two walks, one hit batter, and a K.

Cornelissen, a Wrightstown, Wisconsin, native, led the WolfPack with two hits and three runs batted in from the three spot in the lineup. Leadoff hitter Sam Schloegl, a sophomore transfer from Aurora University (IL), also had two hits and scored two runs.



Game #2: (1) Madison College 9, (8) Kishwaukee College 1 (5 innings)

Much like the opener, Madison College took an early 1-0 lead, this time on an Ashley Kniesel line drive single that plated Hannah Grahl from second. Kishwaukee College (10-34) pulled even in the third against sophomore starter Emily Wiederholt. Once again, the 'Pack answered in the next half inning with two runs on a hit and an error. Kniesel picked up her second RBI with a sacrifice fly that scored Sam Schloegl. In the fourth, Madison College pulled away for good with a six-run inning. A walk and two bunt singles loaded the bases, and a walk of Schloegl forced in the first run. An error by the left fielder on a Grahl fly ball cleared the bases to make it 7-1. Yet another error allowed Grahl to cross home, and Kylie Endres put the final tally on the board with run-scoring single over the shortstop to plate Kniesel.

Of the WolfPack's seven hits, Schloegl finished with two of them, scoring two runs and driving in another. Kniesel, a Waterloo, Wisconsin, native, registered two RBI and a run scored with one hit. Grahl also had one hit and two runs scored.

In the circle, Wiederholt improved to 10-3 with her seventh consecutive win. The Cuba City, Wisconsin, product limited the Kougars to one run on three hits and three walks while striking out a pair. The earned run snapped an impressive run of 28 consecutive scoreless innings that covered seven appearances since April 11. Fellow sophomore Hannah Wienen tossed the final two innings without surrendering a run or a hit, walked one batter, and struck out two.

The WolfPack is now 13-10 all-time against Kishwaukee, including ten straight wins and a 6-1 mark in postseason play. 

Up Next:

Madison College (46-7) will take a 24-game winning streak into the 2018 NJCAA Region IV Division II District B Tournament in Freeport, Illinois, where they will open play against fourth-seeded Carl Sandburg College (18-31). The Chargers won two out of three games against fifth-seeded Illinois Valley Community College to advance. The WolfPack swept a road doubleheader in Galesburg, Illinois, on April 22 by scores of 12-2 and 4-2. In ten previous meetings all-time, Madison College is 7-3 and have won four straight. First pitch at Read Park is at 11:00 a.m., with the winner advancing to the championship semifinals at 5:00 p.m. against the winner of (2) Highland Community College and (3) Sauk Valley Community College. The losers will play at 3:00 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament.

For more information, visit Tournament Central at Region4Sports.com.

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