MADISON, WISC. - Another outstanding pitching performance and one extremely productive bat guided the Madison College softball team to a pair of home wins of Region 4 opponent Highland Community College at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field on Sunday. A two-hit effort by pitcher Casey Fountain highlighted an 8-0 win in six innings to open the twin bill, while outfielder Brianna Brandner put together back-to-back three-hit games at the plate in helping the WolfPack to a 6-5 victory in the finale. The 'Pack has now won seven straight against the Cougars and are 13-6 in head-to-head contests.

Game #1: #13 Madison College 8, Highland Community College 0 (6 innings)

Freshman Casey Fountain (5-0) has found her groove in the pitcher's circle of late and she carried that momentum through a five-inning effort that yielded just two hits. The righthander from Poynette, Wisconsin, struck out nine to match her career-high from two prior wins this season. 

While Fountain was dominating the Highland Community College batters, the Madison College bats put the home team well out in front with a big second inning. The WolfPack took advantage of five hits and an error to plate four runs. Alisia Palms drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to score Megan Miklesh, and after an error made it 2-0 two batters later, Mia Noelker singled in Briel Burg. The final tally was the product of a Katie Joten triple followed by a a Brianna Brandner RBI single, giving the freshman from Portage, Wisconsin, two hits in as many innings. A run-scoring single up the middle by Noelker in the fourth pushed it to 5-0. Abby Luczak and Fountain brought in two more runs in the fifth, and Maddie Kvatek walked off the run-rule win with a single over the second baseman to allow Joten to score.

Brandner went 3 for 4 with a RBI, while three others enjoyed multi-hit performances. Noelker, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, used her two hits to drive in a team-high two runs, and Joten scored a team-best two times.

Game #1: #13 Madison College 6, Highland Community College 5 (7 innings)

In the nightcap, the WolfPack jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when a wild pitch allowed Brianna Brandner to race home. Highland Community College (7-15) registered their first runs of the day in the third inning to assume a 3-1 advantage. Madison College got one run back in the home half thanks to Taylor VonBehren's single that plated Lauren Steien. Four runs on six hits in the fourth put the WolfPack back in front 6-3, with Grace Madeiros and Kylle Hraban each picking up a run batted in and Steien driving in two. The Cougars closed the gap to a single run with one-run innings in the sixth and seventh, however, the 'Pack was able to hold off the rally enough to get the win. 



Brandner again finished atop the hits category with another 3 for 4 game with two runs scored. Steien, who was the starting pitcher, helped her own cause with a two hits, two RBI, and a run scored. Briel Burg was the only other player with at least two hits.

Steien and Mallory Sterling, who combined on a five-inning no-hitter just two days prior, were able to limit the Highland bats enough for the win. Steien (3-1), a former Blair-Taylor HS athlete, went four innings and allowed three runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Sterling picked up her first save of the season after going three innings and giving up four hits that led to two runs, only one of which was earned. She also struck out three.

Up Next:

Madison College (14-2, 1-1) resumes North Central Community College Conference play on Tuesday, April 13 at Harper College (0-4, 0-2). The WolfPack have won 15 straight in the head-to-head series and leads the all-time count by a 26-12-1 count. First pitch in Palatine, Illinois, is set for 3:00 p.m., with game two to start at approximately 5:00 p.m.

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