KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA - Bringing a six-game win streak with them on their annual spring trip to Florida, the Madison College softball team has battled Mother Natures and an ever-changing schedule. The WolfPack, ranked #19 in the NJCAA Division II Poll when the trip began, pushed the win streak to eight consecutive games. Rain washed out the second day of competition, and the remaining schedule for the days after was altered significantly, with the 'Pack dropping two of their next three games.

Game #1 (Friday in Kissimmee): #19 Madison College 5, Mott Community College 1

In their first game in the Sunshine State, the red-hot WolfPack jumped on top early with two runs in the first inning as a result of two hits, two walks, and an error. Pitcher Casey Fountain helped her own cause with a single to center that scored Briar Armatoski to make it 2-0. After the Bears smashed a solo home run in the second, the WolfPack responded in kind to start the fourth. First baseman Mia Noelker led off the inning by sending a 1-1 pitch deep beyond the center field wall for her second career home run. Noelker came through again in the fifth, ripping a double that scored two runs and put the 'Pack ahead by four.

Fountain (3-0) picked up her third win of the season as the Poynette, Wisconsin, native limited opposing batters to one run on eight hits in her seven innings of work. She struck out eight and walked one.

Noelker, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, finished 2 for 3 with three runs batted in and one scored. Fountain also posted a pair of hits, and generated a run and a RBI.

Game #2 (Friday in Kissimmee): #19 Madison College 4, Niagara County Community College 1

Madison College took advantage of ten hits to secure a second win on their opening day in Florida. With two outs in the bottom of the third and the game tied at 1-1, the WolfPack produced three consecutive hits from Myah Hennessey, Sophie Rivera, and Ellie Rademacher to take a 3-1 advantage. They capped the scoring with a Rademacher sacrifice fly that drove in Grace Madeiros.

Madison College also received a great effort in the circle from a trio of arms. Claire Smedema (3-0) surrendered just one earned run on three hits, while also striking out three over five innings en route to her third victory of the year. Addison Warner and Mallory Sterling combined to shut out the Thunder Wolves over the final two innings, with each recording a strike out. The only blemish for the three was a combined ten walks issued.

Three players posted two hits in the win, with Hennessey and Madeiros each scoring a run off their two base knocks. Rademacher, a product of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, had a team-high two RBI and one hit.

Game #3 (Sunday in Kissimmee): Grand View University JV 3, #19 Madison College 2 (8 innings)

Previously scheduled games against Jackson College and Spoon River College were canceled due to Saturday's rain, which also forced a shuffling of the week's schedule by event organizers. Madison College would end up playing a Sunday doubleheader against a pair JV teams from four-year institutions. The first resulted in a narrow loss in the season's first extra innings game. With runners at second and third, Abbie Cavadini singled in Mia Noelker for the game's first run, which was immediately followed by a Sophie Rivera single that plated Cavadini. The Vikings went on to score three unanswered runs, with one each in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. Utilizing the International Tie-Breaker Rule, GVU used a sac fly in foul territory to score the eventual game-winning run. Madison College was able to load the bases with two outs before a ground out ended the game.

Sammy Nelson was the lone player with multiple hits, going 2 for 3. Cavadini, a catcher from West Salem, Wisconsin, produced a hit, one run, and a run batted in.

Kiana Patterson held Grand View to one earned run in her five innings in the circle. The pitcher from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, allowed four hits and struck out five. Sterling worked three innings in relief and was tagged for an earned run on one hit and a walk, while fanning three batters.

Game #4 (Sunday in Kissimmee): #19 Madison College 16, University of Minnesota-Morris JV 2 (5 innings)

The second game against a four-year JV squad began with an eight-run top of the first for Madison College. Eight consecutive batters reached safely, starting with three straight singles, and followed by a three walks, a hit by pitch, and an error that pushed the lead to 4-0. A wild pitch pushed it to a six-run lead, and another error allowed two runs to score before the inning closed. Back-to-back doubles by Ellie Rademacher and Makenna Gish started a fourth inning the featured three more runs with two more errors, a walk, and a sac fly. The game closed after a five-run fifth for the WolfPack, which got a bases loaded single from Bri Unger ahead of a grand slam by Taylor VonBehren to close out the scoring.

VonBehren, a native of DeForest, Wisconsin, becomes the sixth player in program history to register six RBI in a single game. The career-best effort came along with two runs scored and one hit. Casey Fountain, Rademacher, and Gish all had two hits and at least two runs scored as the WolfPack's 3-5 hitters combined to go 6 for 10 with seven runs scored and two batted in. Second baseman Briar Armatoski touched home three times and drove in another while drawing three walks. 

Freshman Addison Warner (2-0) was credited with her second win after holding the Cougars to two runs and four hits. The Gilman, Wisconsin, native struck out four batters and walked four.

Game #5 (Monday in Kissimmee): Iowa Lake Community College 5, #19 Madison College 4

The team's lone game on Day 4 of the trip ended with a narrow one-run setback to a team the WolfPack will play again two days later. The Lakers hit a solo home run in the second inning to grab an early lead, however, Madison College answered right back in the third when Makenna Gish smacked a solo blast of her own for her second homer of the season. The WolfPack plated two runs in the fourth, and after allowing another solo homer in the bottom half, came back to take a 4-2 lead when pitcher Casey Fountain doubled in Ellie Rademacher. Unfortunately, Fountain and the 'Pack were unable to hold on to the lead, giving up three runs in the fifth after a walk and two errors loaded the bases with one out. A fielder's choice and another error tied the game at 4-4, and a a sac fly drove in the winning run.

Fountain (3-1) was tagged for five runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits in her six innings in the circle. She struck out three and walked a pair.

Maddie Kvatek and Mia Noelker led the team with two hits each, while Gish and Fountain both had a hit, a run scored, and a run batted in.

Up Next:

Madison College (10-3), which improved to #18 in the NJCAA Division II Poll, will continue the Florida Spring Trip with a true road doubleheader on Tuesday, March 15 against Polk State College (7-12) in Winter Haven, Florida. The WolfPack will then have repeat matchups against Iowa Lakes CC and Niagara County CC in Kissimmee on Wednesday before the team heads to Titusville on Thursday to close the trip with games against North Central Missouri College and Parkland College.

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