MADISON, WISC. - With just one North Central Community College Conference doubleheader left on schedule following Tuesday's twin bill against the College of DuPage, the Madison College softball team bolstered its second place standing with a two wins at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field. The WolfPack shut out the Chaparrals 8-0 in five innings to start the day, and finished it with an 8-3 decision to build a 3.5-game lead over them in the standings. (NOTE: Rock Valley College secured its ninth straight N4C title on April 19.) The pair of W's give the Pack a six-game win streak in the head-to-head series, while also narrowing the all-time game to 25-22 in favor of the Chaps.

Game #1: Madison College 8, College of DuPage 0 (5 innings)

The home team went ahead 1-0 in their first at-bats. Brianna Brandner drew a lead-off walk, stole second base and advanced to third on an error, and then scored on Maddie Kvatek's sac fly to left. 

Still just a one-run game in the fourth, Madison College plated four runs on five hits and an error. Rightfielder Bri Unger singled in Casey Fountain and Ellie Rademacher. Three batters later, a line drive double to center by Abbie Cavadini made it 5-0 as Unger and Mia Noelker touched home.

The Pack walked off with their 12th run-rule win with a three-run fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Unger drove in Kvatek with a sacrifice fly, which was followed by run-scoring singles from Noelker and Trista Ripp to end the game.

Allowing the WolfPack the chance to claim the early win was another stellar outing from starting pitcher Casey Fountain. The Poynette, Wisconsin, native recorded her third 11-strikeout performance of the season and limited the Chaparrals to two hits and a walk as she improved to 9-2 on the season.

Eight different players had a hit in the game for Madison College, led by Noelker and Armatoski with two each. Unger, an outfielder from Mosinee, Wisconsin, generated two runs batted in and a run scored. Cavadini matched the RBI total. Fountain and Rademacher tied for team-high honors with two runs scored.

Game #2: Madison College 8, College of DuPage 3

In hopes of securing the sweep, Madison College had to play from behind in the finale after the College of DuPage (9-17, 3-7) put two runs on the scoreboard in the first inning against starter Kiana Patterson.

The freshman from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, would help her own cause in the third inning. After Maddie Kvatek opened the frame with a triple, and scored on a sac fly from Makenna Gish, Patterson smashed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for her first career homer.

The Chaps regained the lead with a single run in the top of the fourth, but the WolfPack took the lead for good in the bottom half when two runners scored on an error by the rightfielder.

Madison College created some separation in the fifth, courtesy of four runs and another pitcher going yard. Mallory Sterling took over for Patterson in the fifth inning, and after pitching her way out of a bases loaded jam, led off the bottom half with her ninth official at-bat of the season. The Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, native drove a 2-0 offering well beyond the left field wall for her second career dinger. Myah Hennessey and Unger each drove in a run later in the inning.

Sterling and Chariell Butler led the WolfPack hit parade with two base knocks each. Sterling had a run and a RBI, while Butler scored two times. Grace Madeiros matched Butler with two runs on one hit, and Hennessey had two runs driven in on one hit.

In the circle, Patterson (2-3) earned her second win, fanning three and holding COD to one earned run on four hits and a walk in four innings. Sterling recorded her first save of the spring and second of her career, throwing three innings of scoreless ball with two hits and two walks allowed. She also struck out three batters.

Up Next:

Madison College (21-11, 6-3), which went 5-1 on its brief six-game homestand, travels to Kishwaukee College on Thursday, April 28 for a Region 4 doubleheader. The WolfPack has won 13 in a row to overtake the Kougars in the all-time series by an 18-15 tally. First pitch is at 3:00 p.m. in Malta, Illinois, with the finale slated for a 5:00 p.m. start. Watch and follow live stats via the GameChanger app.

Follow WolfPack softball: Facebook | Twitter