Rosemont, Ill. - The Madison College softball team started the 2022 season in very strong fashion with seven wins in eight matches at the N4C Dome Jamboree at The Dome at the Ballpark last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The WolfPack, ranked #19 in the NJCAA Division II Poll, opened with three consecutive games against other ranked opponents, and went 2-1 in those games as part of a 3-1 effort against North Central Community College Conference teams. They finished the weekend with four wins over fellow Region 4 Division II teams, and the 'Pack ended the weekend with four wins coming in run-rule fashion.

Game #1 (Thursday): #19 Madison College 7, #6 College of DuPage 0

Madison College wasted little time flexing some offensive muscle, using three walks and run scoring singles from Casey Fountain and Trista Ripp to score two runs in the season's first half inning. The advantage was pushed to four when Maddie Kvatek drove in a pair of runs with a single to left in the fourth. Three doubles in the sixth by Taylor VonBehren, Kvatek, and Ellie Rademacher drove the differential to seven suns.

Fountain, a second year pitcher from Poynette, Wisconsin, struck out 11 batters and allowed just one hit en route to her first win of the season. The K total marks the second double-digit strikeout performance of her career and was one less than her career high.

Kvatek, a second year from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, finished 2 for 3 with a team-best two runs batted in and another scored. Rademacher also registered two hits and a RBI. Fountain helped her own cause with a team-best two runs scored, one hit, and a run batted in.

The WolfPack has won four in a row and 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Chaparrals, who lead the all-time series 25-20.

Game #2 (Thursday): #1 Rock Valley College 14, #19 Madison College 1 (5 innings)

The lone loss of the weekend came to seven-time defending national champion and eight-time defending N4C title holder Rock Valley College, The Golden Eagles raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, which included a two-run home run to the second batter of the game, and added six more runs in the second inning. They capped the run-ruled victory with four more runs in fourth.

Starter Kiana Patterson was unable to get out of the second inning after allowing another home run and was tagged for 11 total runs, seven of which were earned, on seven hits and two walks. The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, native did strike out two batters to take her first career loss. Addison Warner entered in relief and worked a perfect inning in relief before Claire Smedema tossed the final 2.2 innings with four hits runs surrendered on four hits and two walks. She also struck out three.

First year players Sophie Rivera and Chariell Butler were the only Madison College batters to record a hit as the Golden Eagles picked up their third straight victory over the 'Pack and improved to 41-19 all-time against the WolfPack.

Game #3 (Friday): #19 Madison College 9, #10 Joliet Junior College 1 (6 innings)

Madison College rebounded the following day with an eight-run victory over the Wolves, improving their lead in the all-time series to 35-15. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning, freshman Myah Hennessey tripled in two more runs on her first career extra base hit. Up 5-0 after two, the 'Pack added additional runs in the fourth and fifth before first year catcher Makenna Gish crushed a homer to left for the first Madison College home run of the season, and the first career blast for Gish.

Gish, a native of West Bend, Wisconsin, went 2 for 2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, product, Sammy Nelson, also posted two hits, and finished with a run and a RBI. Hennessey nearly matched the production of Gish with two runs scored and two more batted as part of a 1 for 2 effort, and Trista Ripp crossed home twice.

Mallory Sterling picked up her first win of the season thanks to six strong innings in the circle. The second year pitcher scattered four hits and allowed one run with two walks and seven strikeouts. 

Game #4 (Friday): #19 Madison College 8, Milwaukee Area Technical College 0 (5 innings)

The final contest against a N4C opponent featured eight runs in the first three innings for the WolfPack against in-state rival MATC-Milwaukee. After taking advantage of a wild pitch to score the first run of the game, catcher Abbie Cavadini's hard grounder up the middle plated to runs to ignite a five-run second inning. Freshman Briar Armatoski doubled in Mackenzie Backman, and then scored along with Sophie Rivera when Maddie Kvatek roped a triple to left. Two more extra base hits from Bri Unger and Rivera in the third added the final two runs to the Madison College tally.

Armatoski, Rivera, and Mia Noelker each registered two hits, with Armatoski and Noelker each scoring two runs. Cavadini and Kvatek paced the 'Pack with two runs batted in. Six of Madison College's 11 hits went for extra bases.

Not to be overshadowed, pitchers Casey Fountain (2-0) and Kiana Patterson combined for a two-hit shutout. Each allowed single hit, while Fountain fanned six over three innings to get the win. Patterson recorded a pair of K's.

Madison College has won 12 straight over the Stormers, and are 19-11 all-time.

Game #5 (Friday): #19 Madison College 14, Prairie State College 1 (5 innings)

The first of four non-conference contests was over in a hurry as the WolfPack put up a season-high 14 runs and 13 hits against en route to a fourth-consecutive win and sixth in eight all-time meetings against the Pioneers. The 'Pack generated six runs in a first inning that featured run-scoring doubles from Maddie Kvatek, Ellie Rademacher, and Brianna Brandner, with the final two going for two runs each. Trista Ripp joined the club with a two-run two-bagger in the second. Leading 10-0 after three innings, Madison College tacked on four more in the fifth, including the team's fifth RBI double of the game off the bat of Mallory Sterling.

Makenna Gish led the hit parade with a 3 for 3 performance that amassed two runs scored and two runs batted in. Ripp went for two hits, two runs, and two RBI as the only other multi-hit performer. Patterson and Unger both crossed home twice, while Brandner and Rademacher each had two RBI and a run scored.

Claire Smedema earned her first career victory as the freshman from Watertown, Wisconsin, set down nine batters via strikeout. She allowed one unearned run on two hits and a pair of walks over five innings.

Game #6 (Saturday): #19 Madison College 13, South Suburban College 3 (5 innings)

The highest-scoring inning of the weekend for Madison College started their first game on Saturday, as they hung a nine-spot on the Bulldogs right out of the gates. A leadoff walk was followed by back-to-back doubles from Makenna Gish and Maddie Kvatek. Kiana Patterson and Casey Fountain later singled in runs and it was 4-0 before the first out of the game was recorded by the seventh batter to come to the plate. The hits and runs kept coming, with Mia Noelker and Brianna Brandner singling in a run before a two-RBI double for Gish gave the freshman four runs driven in. They went on to tally three runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth.

In all, 12 Madison College players got a hit, led by the first three-hit game for Gish. She was 3 for 4 with a career-best four runs batted in and another scored. Patterson also had multiple hits with two and a run scored. Kvatek racked up two RBI and a touch of home plate, while Brandner posted two runs scored and another batted in.

In the circle, Addison Warner worked five innings to chalk up her first career win. The native of Gilman, Wisconsin, struck out six batters to offset the four hits and two walks allowed over five innings. Warner was credited with three unearned runs.

Madison College is 11-5 all-time against South Suburban College, and boast wins in six straight games.

Game #7 (Saturday): #19 Madison College 12, McHenry County College 5

In the first of three meetings with McHenry County College this season, the WolfPack used a five-run third inning and six runs over the fifth and sixth innings to earn the win. Maddie Kvatek started the game off in style with a race around the bases on a triple to center that allowed her to score on the throw home. After a wild pitch and an error give the Scots a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, Madison College responded with five runs on four free passes, three singles, and a passed ball to net the five runs. Later in the game, Mia Noelker, Brianna Brandner, and Abbie Cavadini all drove in runs with extra base hits.

Kvatek, Noelker, and Trista Ripp each had two hits in the game, with Ripp, a former Waunakee HS athlete, scoring a team-high three runs and driving in two more. Noelker had two RBI and a run scored. Brandner and Sammy Nelson each touched home twice and produced one RBI.

Mallory Sterling (2-0) got the win after going four-plus innings and recording 11 punch outs, the second-highest strikeout total in a game in her career. The native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, gave up four hits, two walks, and four earned runs before giving way to Casey Fountain for the final 2.2 innings. Fountain dished out five more strikeouts and allowed just one hit.

Madison College owns a seven-game win streak and an 11-7 record all-time against MCC, who will host the 'Pack for a doubleheader in Crystal Lake, Illinois, on April 15.

Game #8 (Saturday): #19 Madison College 14, Elgin Community College 0

The final game of the weekend offered little in the way of drama with Madison College matching their season-best runs and hits totals from the day prior. The WolfPack enjoyed two big innings, with five runs in the first and six runs in the third. WolfPack pitchers dominated the Elgin CC bats with a combined one-hitter between starter Claire Smedema (2-0) and Kiana Patterson. Smedema racked up eight K's and allowed just one hit and one walk in her four innings for her second win of the weekend. Patterson was perfect in the final inning and posted a pair of strikeouts.

Of the nine batters to record a hit for Madison College, the last four in the lineup each finished with two as the group went eight for 13. Taylor VonBehren had two RBI and a run scored, with Grace Madeiros scoring two runs. Mosinee, Wisconsin, native Bri Unger tallied a career-high three runs scored, while Noelker and Sterling matched VonBehren with two runs batted in.

The two teams have split four all-time meetings.

Up Next:

Madison College (7-1, 3-1) will continue it's March schedule with its annual spring trip to Florida starting Friday, March 11 and ending 11 games and six days later on March 17. They will open with games against Mott Community College (MI/5-3) and Niagara County Community College (NY/0-0). For more information, check out the 2022 schedule page.

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