CLINTON, MISS. - A year after finishing sixth in the nation and earning three wins in their debut appearance at the national tournament, the Madison College softball team was unable to build upon that as they were eliminated from the 2019 NJCAA Division II Softball Championships following three games. In the loser's bracker following Wednesday's setback, the #8-seeded WolfPack kept hope alive with a 5-1 win over #16-seed Hagerstown Community College (VA), before falling 12-9 against #7 Kirkwood Community College (IA) in a rematch of a thrilling upset win for the 'Pack last spring. The 'Pack concludes the 2019 season with a 42-12 record, marking the second most wins in year in program history.

Game #2: #8 Madison College 5, #16 Hagerstown Community College 1 (7 innings)

Facing elimination for the first time in the postseason, Madison College showed their resilience and took control early against the Hawks, who lost to top-seeded LSU-Eunice by a run in their tournament opener. A pair of errors on back-to-back plays in the second inning led to the game's first run when sophomore Hannah Grahl hit a sacrfice fly to center with the bases loaded to score Montana Platts from third. In the third, Maegan Brookins led off with a bloop single and scored two batters later on a single to center by freshman Irene Tomasovic for a 2-0 edge.

The WolfPack gain more separation in the fourth with three runs on four hits, and all of it came after two outs. Brookins began the rally with a triple to center and then scored on a Dany Gumz single. Gumz was able to reach home when Tomasovic followed with a line drive double to left, and Paige Hintz capped the scoring with a run-scoring single to center that brought in Tomasovic.

Starting pitcher Jordan Martin had allowed just two hits through four innings when the Hagerstown Community College (36-11) bats finally got to her. The Hawks recorded three singles, the last two of which came with two outs and produced one run. Martin ended the inning with a fly out to Paige Cornelissen in left with two runners still on. After a 1-2-3 sixth inning, she left two more runners stranded in the seventh to close out the win. During that last frame, Martin recorded her 145th strikeout to break the single-season school record set last year by All-American Alli Walker. Martin, a Hortonville, Wisconsin, native, improved to 16-2 to secure the second most wins in a season in program history. She finished the game with one earned run on seven hits, while fanning six batters.

Brookins and Tomasovic led the offensive attack with two hits each. Brookins, a native of Poynette, Wisconsin, scored a team-high two runs, while Tomasovic, a former Kimberly High School athlete, drove in a team-best two runs in helping Madison College to a win in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Game #3: #7 Kirkwood Community College 12, #8 Madison College 9 (7 innings)

The WolfPack's second elimination game of the day game against Kirkwood Community College, a team they eliminated in the very same game the year before with a dramatic 5-4 win. And Madison College appeared ready for the moment as they posted six runs in the first half inning. With two runners on freshman Irene Tomasovic doubled on a ground ball to left that scored Paige Cornelissen and Dany Gumz. Back-to-back singles by Paige Hintz and Montana Platts made it 3-0 before an error added another run. Before the inning ended, Nicole Ferch drove in a run with a groundout, and Hannah Grahl single in Dercola to make it a 6-0 ballgame. The lead grew to 8-0 in the second thanks to a hit and an error.

The Eagles answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second as they amassed five hits and left the bases loaded against starter Maddie Fink. Kirkwood Community College (52-16) brought in a new pitcher in the third and kept the WolfPack at bay until Ferch registered her second RBI of the game with a single in the fourth that plated Tomasovic for a 9-2 lead.

From that point on, it was all Eagles. A lead-off home run in the fourth cut the differential to six, before a four-run fifth inning that included a two-run homer made it 9-7 and forced coach Leo Kalinowski to bring in freshman Jordan Martin from the bullpen. After getting out of the inning, Martin returned in the sixth where two early walks puts runners on with two outs. The Eagles would tie the game on a hit, followed by an error that produced successive runs. A second error put the Eagles up 10-9, which was followed by a run-scoring double and a third error to make it 12-9. The WolfPack went down in order in the seventh to end the game.

Three players recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Tomasovic's 2 for 4 effort that produced a team-leading three runs scored and two runs batted in. The first year outfielder finished the season on a 16-game hitting streak, and led the team with 79 hits, 60 RBI, and a .491 batting average. Platts, a former Wilmot Union High School athlete, used her two hits for a run and a RBI, while Rosendale, Wisconsin, native Hannah Grahl drove in a run on two base knocks. Ferch, a Cudahy, Wisconsin, product, matched Tomasovic with two runs batted in, and Gumz, who hails from Marshall, Wisconsin, had two runs scored on one hit to finish the season with a team-high 52 runs.

Fink worked four-plus innings and did not factor into the decision. The native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, allowed seven earned runs on ten hits and a walk, while also retiring three batters via strikeout. Martin (16-3) took the loss after an inning and two-thirds as she was tagged for five runs, one of which was earned, on four hits, two walks, and a K. 

Madison College is now 1-9 all-time against the Eagles, including 1-1 in postseason meetings. In back-to-back national tournament appearances, the WolfPack are a combined 4-4.

2019 NJCAA Division II Softball Championship Information

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