MEQUON, WISC. - The final regular season and North Central Community College Conference doubleheader of the season for Madison College softball produced a pair of lopsided wins over in-state rival Milwaukee Area Technical College on Saturday. The WolfPack took down the Stormers 10-0 and 10-1 to extend their win streak to five games heading into the postseason. The Pack, who defeated MATC-Milwaukee 8-0 in five innings at the N4C Dome Jamboree, swept the regular season series and extended their win streak over their rivals to 14 straight en route to a 21-11 edge in the all-time series. Madison College closes out the regular season with a 28-14 record, and finished second in the N4C with an 8-3 mark.

Game #1: Madison College 10, Milwaukee Area Technical College 0

Madison College slowly pulled away from the Stormers in the opener, putting a single run in each of the first three innings, and then exploding for six runs in the seven to put it out of reach. Brianna Brandner opened the game by drawing a four-pitch walk, and after stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch, scored the game's first run as Casey Fountain hit a sacrifice fly to left. Designated player Mallory Sterling continued her late-season power surge with a lead-off home run to start the second inning and make it 2-0. The Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, native has homered in three of the last five games she's appeared in as a hitter.

Fountain, a NFCA All-American in 2021, produced a one-out single in the third, and scored two batters later on a two-out single from Trista Ripp. That same duo paired up again in the sixth inning to push the WolfPack advantage to 4-0. Fountain singled to right to open the frame, and advanced to second on the throw in. After moving to third on Mia Noelker's groundout, Ripp followed with a grounder to second that allowed Fountain to race in from third. 

Six runs on six hits and a walk in the seventh inning left no doubt that Madison College would win the opener. Brandner doubled in Taylor VonBehren, and continued to hustle all the way around the bases as thanks to an error in left field. Fountain came up two batters later, and belted her third home run this spring to make it 7-0. She now owns five homers in a Madison College uniform. The inning also saw Ripp drive a double to center to plate pinch runner Chariell Butler, and then score along with Sterling on a single through the ride side from Abbie Cavadini.

Fountain finished 3 for 3 and scored three times to lead the team in both categories. She also drove in a pair of runs. In the circle, Fountain (12-3) ended another successful pitching campaign with seven innings of four-hit, shutout softball. She walked three and struck out ten for her fifth double-digit K outing in 2022.

Sterling was 2 for 3 with a homer, two runs scored, and one batted in. Noelker, Ripp, and Cavadini also generated two hits in the win, with Ripp, a Dane, Wisconsin, native, driving in a team-leading three runs and scoring another.

Game #2: Madison College 10, Milwaukee Area Technical College 1

Aside from Milwaukee Area Technical College (9-21, 1-11) scoring the game's first run in the opening inning, game two also witnessed Madison College methodically pull away for a nine-run win. A double and an error put the Stormers on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, however, the WolfPack answered back in the top of the second. Makenna Gish roped a one-out triple to right field, and Mallory Sterling followed two batters later with a double to give the Pack their first run. Designated player Kiana Patterson put Madison College ahead 3-1 with a two-run double in the third.

Three runs on three hits and an error in the fifth pushed the differential to 6-1, with Briar Armatoski driving in one and Makenna Gish plated the other two. Sterling brought out the big bat for the second time that day with another lead-off homer, giving her four total home runs to tie for the team lead. Three batters later, and with two outs on the board, Chariell Butler used her legs to net a four-bagger, hitting an inside-the-park home run to center field. The final two runs were scored in the seventh inning on back-to-back sac flies from Mackenzie Backman and Sterling.

Sterling drove in a team-high three runs and scored another with two extra base hits. Gish, a native of West Bend, Wisconsin, went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two batted in. Patterson and Armatoski also had two hits in the game, with Patterson driving in a pair and scoring once, while Armatoski generated a run and a RBI. Butler's first career home run gave her a run scored and two runs batted in. Nelson had a hit and two runs scored.

Pitchers Addison Warner (6-2) and Claire Smedema combined on a three-hitter. Warner worked the first three innings and surrendered an unearned run on two hits and two walks. She struck out four before Smedema entered to fan four of her own over four innings of one-hit ball.

Up Next:

Madison College (28-14) was awarded the #2 seed in the NJCAA Region 4 Division II Tournament, and will open with a Best-of-3 Quarterfinal series against (7) Prairie State College at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field. The series will be played on Tuesday, May 10, with games one and two set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. starts. Game three, if necessary, will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. The WolfPack is 6-2 all-time against the Pioneers, including a 14-1 win in five innings at the N4C Dome Jamboree back in March. The two teams met twice in the 2019 Region 4 Tournament, with Madison College earning wins of 8-0 and 7-0 to advance to the national tournament in their only prior postseason get-togethers. The winner of the sectional series will advance to the Region 4 Division II Tournament at Read Park in Freeport, Illinois, from May 14-15.

Watch all the games live at MadisonCollege.tv and follow live stats via the GameChanger app.

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