Box Score CLINTON, MISS. - The Madison College softball team was unable to overcome an early deficit and lost 6-3 to Johnson County Community College in the opener of the 2019 NJCAA Division II Softball Championships. In a rematch of an elimination game from last year's national tournament, the #9 Cavaliers took advantage of a big first inning to earn some revenge on the #8 WolfPack. The loss drops the 'Pack into the loser's bracket, and also snapped a season-high 13-game win streak.

After retiring the first batter of the game, starter Maddie Fink ran into trouble with four consecutive singles that put Johnson County Community College (25-12) on the board first. The last of those singles was a ground ball that deflected off of Fink's leg, forcing the freshman to leave the game early. Coach Leo Kalinowski turned to fellow first year righthander Jordan Martin to try and eliminate the threat with the bases loaded and one out. She was able to induce one pop fly out before two more single drove in a three more runs for a 4-0 differential.

Madison College regained a little momentum in the bottom half when lead-off hitter Paige Cornelissen raced around bases for an inside-the-park home run on a line drive to left to cut the deficit to three. The scored remained 4-1 as both pitchers settled in, but in the top of the fifth, the Cavaliers got to Martin for two more runs. Martin issued walks to the first two batters of the inning before a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single up the middle made it 6-1.

The WolfPack answered in the home half with a two-out rally that saw Cornelissen follow a Hannah Grahl single by ripping a line drive triple to center, bringing the score to 6-2. After reliever Cathryn Hiller worked through the top of the sixth, Madison College seemed poised to get back in the game. Singles by Irene Tomasovic and Paige Hintz were followed by a walk of Morgan Dercola to load the bases with one out. Sophomore catcher Nicole Ferch knocked a single to right field that scored Tomasovic and made it a 6-3 game. However, a pitching change by JCCC was enough to stem the tide as Kaela Kraemer grounded into a fielder's choice that cut down Hintz at home, and Grahl popped out to first to end the threat. The 'Pack went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to end the game.

Cornelissen, a sophomore from Wrightstown, Wisconsin, finished 2 for 4 with two runs batted in and one run scored. Hintz, a product of Almond, Wisconsin, also had two hits. Tomasovic scored one run on her 1 for 3 day, while Ferch also went 1 for 3 with a RBI.

Fink (15-3) took the loss and saw a personal 13-game winning streak come to an end. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native allowed four earned runs on four hits before exiting due to injury. Martin worked the next four and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. The former Hortonville High School athlete is now five K's away from tying the school's single-season strikeout record as she sits at 139. Hiller tossed the final two innings in scoreless fashion, surrendering just one hit.

Madison College and Johnson County Community College are now 1-1 in all-time meetings. The Cavaliers advance to play #1 LSU-Eunice.

Up Next: 

Madison College (41-11) will play #16 Hagerstown Community College (36-10) in an elimination game on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. The Hawks narrowly lost their opener against LSU-Eunice by a 3-2 final. This will mark the first ever meeting between the two programs, who have a combined five Division II national tournament appearances. The winner will play again at 5:30 p.m. in an elimination game against the loser of #2 Des Moines Area Community College (IA) and #7 Kirkwood Community College (IA). 

2019 NJCAA Division II Softball Championship Information

Scouting Report: Meet the NJCAA DII National Tournament Field

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