ROSEMONT, ILL. - The Madison College softball team posted a 4-2 record at the season-opening N4C Dome Jamboree, including a 3-2 mark against league opponents during the three-day event at The Dome at the Ballpark. Following an 11-3 setback in a top-ten matchup against #1 Rock Valley College, the #9-ranked WolfPack rebounded with wins over the College of DuPage (16-6), Harper College (18-2), and Joliet Junior College (8-0). The final conference matchup on Saturday resulted in an 11-3 loss to Triton College, however, the 'Pack exited the weekend on a high-note with a 12-1 defeat of Region IV foe South Suburban College. Madison College finished the weekend plus-29 in run differential.

Game #1 (Friday): #1 Rock Valley College 11, #9 Madison College 3

For the third consecutive season, Madison College opened the schedule with a matchup against the defending NJCAA Division III National Champions, and for the second time in those three years, the WolfPack came out on the losing end. The two nationally ranked programs finished with the same record in N4C play a season ago and seemed primed for another close battle, however, two big offensive innings from the Golden Eagles provided a different outcome. The WolfPack led 1-0 in the first after sophomore Paige Cornelissen tripled and eventually scored in the first inning, but RVC answered with four runs three hits and two walks in the top of the second. Second year first baseman Dany Gumz doubled in Montana Platts in the home half to cut the deficit in half. Rock Valley added a run in the third and dropped a five-spot in the fourth to break open the game at 10-2. Freshman outfielder Irene Tomasovic singled in Cornelissen in the fifth before the game ended with an eight-run differential.

Cornelissen and Gumz registered four of the team's six hits, with the former scoring two runs. Tomasovic recorded her first career RBI, while Platts tallied her first collegiate run scored.

Freshman starter Jordan Martin (0-1) took the loss in her first career outing after allowing seven earned runs on five hits and six walks. The native of Hortonville, Wisconsin, did strike out four batters before giving way to fellow first year Maddie Fink for the final three innings. Fink surrendered four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits and struck out one in the final three innings. 

Madison College has lost three straight to the Golden Eagles (2-3) since winning last year's season-opener and trail in the all-time series by a 34-16 count.

Game #2 (Friday): #9 Madison College 16, College of DuPage 6 (6 innings)

Still looking for the season's first win, the WolfPack trailed the Chaparrals by a run entering the third inning when the bats came alive. Following a lead-off double by first year third baseman Kyrsten George, sophomore catcher Nicole Ferch crushed a home run to right for her third career blast. Following a Maegan Brookins RBI ground ball, Dany Gumz smashed a three-run shot to left to give the 'Pack a 6-1 lead. DuPage fought right back against righthanded starter Maddie Fink, scoring four runs on five hits and a walk to make it a 6-5 contest after three. In the fifth, Madison College put four more runs on the board courtesy of three triples, including back-to-back run-scoring three-baggers from Irene Tomasovic and George. The advantage reached 11 runs in the sixth thanks to six runs on six hits. Freshman Morgan Dercola and Kaela Kraemer each notched their first career runs batted in.

The WolfPack racked up 18 hits in the game, led by three each from Brookins, Gumz, and George. Gumz and George each scored a team-high three times, while Gumz also drove in three runs and talled three extra base hits. Ferch was tops in RBI with four.

Fink (1-0), a native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, picked up the win in her first career start and second overall appearance. She fanned six batters over six innings, while also allowing five earned runs on nine hits and three walks. 

The WolfPack have won six straight and 11 of the last 13 against the Chaparrals (0-2), but still trail the head-to-head series 24-15.  

Game #3 (Friday): #9 Madison College 18, Harper College 2 (5 innings)

Friday's finale saw Madison College score its most runs in a game since also putting up 18 against the Hawks in the 2014 Region IV Tournament. The game was over almost as soon as it began as the WolfPack tallied 11 runs in the first half inning, thanks to five hits, six walks, and two errors. The innings biggest hits were a run-scoring triple by sophomore Kylie Endres, a two-RBI double from Irene Tomasovic, a two-run double by Morgan Dercola, and an inside-the-park home run for Endres that scored two runs and capped the inning. Kaela Kraemer, Olivia Bancroft-Hart, and Paige Hintz each drove in a run in the second to make it 15-0 in the second. Then in the third, Endres led off the frame with her second inside-the-park home run of the game, which was matched by a two-run round-tripper for Tomasovic later that inning.

Endres, a product of DeForest, Wisconsin, went 4 for 4 with four extra base hits, four RBI, and three runs scored for the best offensive game of her collegiate career. Fellow second year Allison Tomlinson had three hits and three runs scored. Four other players contributed two hits, with Tomasovic, a Kimberly, Wisconsin, native, driving in four runs and scoring three on her 2 for 3 day at the plate. Freshman and former Stevens Point Pacelli High School standout Paige Hintz produced four runs batted in and crossed home once after going 2 for 4.

In the circle, the win was picked up by freshman Brianna Farrington (1-0) after the Columbus, Wisconsin, native tossed three innings of no-hit softball with five strikeouts in ten batters faced. Another righty and fellow first year, Cathryn Hiller, finished the final two frames with two earned runs on two hits and four K's.

The win is the 14th straight over the Hawks (0-3) and gives Madison College a 25-12-1 edge in the all-time series.

Game #4 (Saturday): #9 Madison College 8, Joliet Junior College 0 (5 innings)

Day Two opened with the first of two outstanding pitching performances from Jordan Martin, who held Joliet Junior College to just a single hit over five innings to earn her first career victory. The righthander struck out a nine batters and walked just one to improve to 1-1 on the season.

Martin received some early run support, as well, with the WolfPack scoring five runs in the second inning and three more in the third. Nicole Ferch and Paige Cornelissen each drove in a run in the second inning, which featured three hits, two free passes, and an error, while Irene Tomasovic and Morgan Dercola ripped successive triples in the third inning to complete the scoring. 

Tomasovic went 3 for 3 with two extra base hits, two runs scored, and two batted in. Dercola produced two RBI with her two hits. And Montana Platts matched Tomasovic by crossing home plate twice.

The victory improves the Madison College win streak over the Wolves (2-2) to 22 in a row and boosts the all-time series differential to 31-13. 

Game #5 (Saturday): Triton College 11, #9 Madison College 3 (6 innings)

The last of the conference games for the WolfPack came against Triton College and produced the team's second loss of the weekend. The WolfPack struck first with three runs in the opening half inning, with Dany Gumz doubling in the game's first run, Paige Hintz scoring on a fielder's choice, and Montana Platts lining a single to right that plated Gumz. However, from that point on it was all Trojans. Brianna Farrington started for the 'Pack, but was relieved after struggling to get out of the third inning when Triton took the lead at 4-3. The Trojans added two more in the fifth and five more in the sixth against Maddie Fink.

Farrington (1-1) took her first loss and was saddled for four runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits and a walk in her two-plus innings of work. She did finish with three strikeouts. Fink was on the hook for four earned runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four in less than three innings in the circle. 

Paige Cornelissen and Platts each picked up two hits to lead the offense.

The loss to Triton College () is the third in the last 13 meetings, with the WolfPack still owning a 19-11 edge all-time.

Game #6 (Sunday): #9 Madison College 12, South Suburban College 1 (5 innings)

The weekend's final game was the lone non-conference opponent, as the WolfPack dominated the Bulldogs for their fourth victory via run-rule. Dany Gumz doubled in Maegan Brookins to begin the scoring in the first before the 'Pack made it 4-0 in the second. Sophomore Hannah Grahl bunted in Tristan Scholler, and then scored two batters later. Gumz capped the inning with another RBI base hit to plate Paige Cornelissen. After adding and giving up a run in the third, Madison College made it 9-1 in the fourth. Kylie Endres drove in one with a single to center and Montana Platts doubled in a pair. The game's final runs came in the fifth with Gumz completing her stellar morning with a two-run single and Endres doubling in another.

Not to be overshadowed by the offense, Jordan Martin (2-1) struck out a career-high 14 batters and surrendered one unearned run on three hits and three walks. She finished the weekend with a team-leading 13.0 innings pitch and 27 K's.

Gumz, a native of Marshall, Wisconsin, has a hit in five straight games after going 3 for 4 with four RBI. For the weekend, she hit .600 with nine runs batted in and five runs scored. Endres used her two hits, two runs scored, and two batted in to beef up her weekend totals to six RBI, five runs scored, and a team-high .778 batting average. Platts finished the game with three runs batted in. Irene Tomasovic, who scored twice, but did not register a hit in the game, led the 'Pack on the weekend with ten RBI and nine runs scored.

Madison College is now 8-5 all-time against South Suburban College (2-2), with wins in the last three meetings.

Up Next:

Madison College (4-2) is off until March 15, when they begin their annual Florida Spring Trip with a contest against Heartland Community College (IL) at 8:15 a.m. CST, followed by a 10:30 a.m. matchup with Mott Community College (MI) at the Osceola Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. The WolfPack will play 14 games over eight days in Kissimmee and Clermont (Legends Way Ballfields). 

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