MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College softball team earned a sweep of Region IV opponent Kankakee Community College on Friday at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field, giving the WolfPack 30 wins for fifth straight year. The #12-ranked 'Pack held off a late rally in the opener and won 5-4 thanks to a dramatic final out, and then picked up a 5-0 shutout of the Cavaliers to close out the day. Prior to coach Leo Kalinowski taking over in 2011, the program had never reached 30 wins in a year, and can now boast five such seasons.

Game #1: #12 Madison College 5, Kankakee Community College 4 (7 innings)

Game one got off to a rough start for the WolfPack when starter Maddie Fink was tagged for a first inning home run, a two-out solo shot to left to give the Cavaliers a 1-0. Madison College took their first lead in the second when freshman Morgan Dercola followed fellow freshman Paige Hintz' double with a single through the right side to tie the game. Dercola would score on a groundout by catcher Nicole Ferch. The advantage grew to 5-1 in the fourth on three hits, a walk, and an error. First year third baseman Montana Platts singled in Dercola, which was followed by a two-RBI single by sophomore shortstop Hannah Grahl to make it 5-1. The Cavaliers chipped away at the deficit, making it 5-3 in the sixth and then a one-run game in the seventh. With a runner still aboard at second two out, Kankakee got a single to center, however, centerfielder Irene Tomasovic played it perfectly off one hop and fired a rope to Ferch at home to cut down the game-tying run at the plate to end the game.

Fink (10-2) worked all seven innings and struck out nine batters, one fewer than her season-high of ten. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native allowed four runs, two of which were earned, on five hits and a walk en route to her eighth straight win.

Dercola, a former of Sussex Hamilton High School athlete, went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and one batted in. Hintz, a native of Almond, Wisconsin, was also 2 for 3 and scored one run. Grahl, an all-conference and all-region honoree last year, produced two RBI on one hit. Platts used her lone hit to drive in a run and score another. 

Game #2: #12 Madison College 5, Kankakee Community College 0 (7 innings)

The nightcap saw freshman Jordan Martin dominate from inside the circle, holding Kankakee Community College (23-18-1) to just three hits in the game. The Hortonville, Wisconsin, native worked 1-2-3 in four of her first five innings and struck out seven batters as she improved to 10-2 on the year with her fourth consecutive victory.

Madison College went up 2-0 in the first as Maegan Brookins and Paige Hintz each drove in a run. The 'Pack made it a 4-0 lead with two more runs in the fourth. Montana Platts, a freshman from Burlington, Wisconsin, knocked her first career home run over the left field fence with a solo home run and Brookins added another RBI with her second run-scoring double of the game. Though not credited with a run batted in, the final scoring tally came off of Brookin' bat in the sixth when an error by the third baseman allowed Paige Cornelissen to reach home. 

Brookins went 2 for 4 with two runs batted in and another run scored. Cornelissen, a sophomore from Wrightstown, Wisconsin, scored three of the team's five runs and was 3 for 4 at the plate for her second three-hit game in the last four played. Irene Tomasovic also had two hits in the win. 

Friday's doubleheader marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Up Next: 

Madison College (30-10) was schedule to host Heartland Community College (IL) on Saturday, April 27 and visit Kishwaukee College on Sunday, April 28, however, both were cancelled due to weather. The twin bill with Heartland will not be made up, while the doubleheader with the Kougars has yet to be rescheduled. The WolfPack will return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 30 for a non-conference doubleheader against #1 Rock Valley College (42-10). The Golden Eagles have won all three prior meetings with the 'Pack this season, and boast a 36-16 advantage in the all-time series. First pitch at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field is at 2:00 p.m., with game two set to begin at 4:00 p.m. The two games will mark the final regular season home games for Madison College. 

All home Madison College softball games can be streamed live at MadisonCollege.tv.

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