RIVER GROVE, ILL. - In a matchup of the two Region 4 representatives from the 2021 NJCAA Division II Softball Championships, Triton College was able to hold off visiting Madison College for a pair of wins Sunday. The Trojans, ranked #10 in the NJCAA Division II Poll, used a pair of big sixth-innings to secure wins of 7-1 and 6-3 in the doubleheader. The WolfPack still own a 24-14 lead in the head-to-head series, but have now dropped three of the last four meetings between the former North Central Community College Conference foes.

Game #1: #10 Triton College 7, Madison College 1

Sunday seemed to start on the right foot for the WolfPack as Brianna Brandner and Maddie Kvatek used back-to-back singles, and a Trojans error, to open the top of the first with a 1-0 lead. The home team hit the first of three home runs in the game in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1, and used another solo blast in the third to assume the lead for good at 2-1. 

The third and final homer was a three-run shot in the sixth that sparked a five-run inning to give Triton College a 7-1 advantage. Madison College did get a lead-off single from Mia Noelker in the seventh, but she was stranded at first as the next three batters went down in order.

The WolfPack generated just four hits in the game, including a single by Abbie Cavadini.

Mallory Sterling (3-4) took her third loss in her last six outings. The right-hander from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was credited with five earned runs on nine hits and two walks over six innings. She struck out four.

Game #2: #10 Triton College 6, Madison College 3

Triton College (41-6) jumped out to an early three-run lead in the first inning of the finale, using a hit batter and three singles against Claire Smedema, who was take out after five batters. Kiana Patterson took over, and despite giving up the third single of the inning to make it 3-0, kept the Trojans off the scoreboard for the next four innings.

During that stretch, freshman outfielder Sophie Rivera tied the game with one swing of her bat. After Sammy Nelson and Makenna Gish reached with singles, Rivera sent a 1-1 pitch over the center field wall for a three-run blast that tied the game. It was the first career home run for the former Oconomowoc HS athlete.

Unfortunately, the 3-3 tie was broken in the bottom of the sixth as the home team got to Patterson for three more runs on three singles and an error. Addison Warner entered in relief to record the final two outs and send the Pack to the plate to try and rally. Grace Madeiros lined a single to left for the only hit of the seventh inning.

Madison College again registered just four hits from four different players. Rivera was tops with three RBI and a run scored. Nelson and Gish each had a hit and a run scored.

Smedema allowed three earned runs on two hits and a hit batter in her two-thirds of an inning, and Warner recorded one strikeout in her two-thirds. Patterson (2-4) went 4.2 innings and was credited with two earned runs out of three allowed. She surrendered four hits and issued two walks, while fanning one.

Up Next:

Madison College (21-13) will continue what has become an eight-game road trip over four days with a doubleheader against Kishwaukee College on Monday, May 2. The twin bill was originally scheduled for the previous Thursday before being rained out. 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.

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