CLERMONT, FLO. - The Madison College softball team posted splits of their daily doubleheaders for their first three days in Florida until a pair of losses against Iowa Lakes Community College on Sunday. Friday saw the WolfPack rally for an 8-7 win over Lake Michigan College before falling 5-0 to Hocking College. Saturday's slate began with a 5-4 setback against the West Virginia Wesleyan College JV, but a recovery to defeat Mid Michigan College by a 9-5 tally. And Sunday's losses came by scores of 19-8 in five innings and 4-0. The Pack is 3-5 on the trip with four more games over two days remaining.

Game #3: Madison College 8, Lake Michigan College 7

Freshman pitcher Hannah Aldrich allowed a double and a single to the game's first two batters, giving the Red Hawks an early 1-0 lead. Her teammates fired back in the home half of the first with a pair of runs on three hits and an error. Sammy Nelson and Makenna Gish hit back-to-back runs scoring singles to put Madison College on top. Lake Michigan College returned the favor in the third, sending a 1-2 offering from Aldrich over the fence for a two-run homer to jump back in front 3-2.

A four-run bottom of the third for Madison College turned the score around to favor the WolfPack by a 6-3 margin. Following a single by Mackenna Schultz and a double from Ellie Rademacher, Gish drove a liner to right field to score both. Freshman Lillie Pluer then laceds a double to right ahead of a two-RBI single up the middle from Sophie Rivera. The lead again did not hold with LMC using another two-run homer off Aldrich to tie the game at 6-6, and then plating another on a single to make it 7-6 in the top of the fourth.

Madison College came through one last time at the plate with two runs in the fifth inning to secure an 8-7 edge. Sophomore Claire Smedema brought Gish in to score with a double to center that tied the game, and Karis Paulson drove in the game-winning run with a single through the right side that allowed Smedema to race around from second and score.

The Red Hawks had multiple runners aboard in both the sixth and seventh innings, however, the WolfPack was able to get out of the threat each time. Smedema (2-0), a former Columbus HS athlete, picked up the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless ball with one hit and four walks allowed. She did strike out one batter. Aldrich, a Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, native, was tagged for seven runs, three of which were earned, over 3.2 innings in the circle. The first year righthander gave up seven hits and two walks, while also fanning three. Kianna Patterson closed out the win in the seventh despite issuing a pair of walk and earned her first save of the season.

Gish finished 3 for 3 with two runs scored and two batted in to lead the offensive charge. Schultz, Rademacher, and Pluer each posted two hits en route to the WolfPack amassing 13 in the game to mark their second-highest in-game total this season. Schultz and Rademacher each scored twice, and Pluer had a run scored. Rivera registered two runs batted in as par of a 1 for 3 effort in the first all-time meeting between the two programs.

Game #4: Hocking College 5, Madison College 0

Madison College was unable to stack together many hits, or timely hits, in Friday's second game, and stranded 11 runners. Freshman Jenna Redders was called out for interference on a Makenna Gish double that could have put the WolfPack on the board. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs before a Sammy Nelson pop fly ended it. They filled the base paths again in the fourth inning with a Gish triple and two walks before Briar Armatoski also ended the threat with a fly out.

Hocking was able to score twice in the second inning on a hit, a walk, and an error, and added another run in the third with two extra base hits. The differential grew to five in the fourth inning when Madison College committed three errors and gave up a single.

Sophomore Addison Warner (0-1) took the loss in her season debut after logging four innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks. Ella Wyskochil, a freshman from New Berlin, Wisconsin, worked two scoreless innings in relief and finished with a hit and two walks allowed, and one strikeout. 

Gish posted three of the WolfPack's five hits, including a double and a triple. Karis Paulson, a native of Monroe, Wisconsin, also recorded a triple in the first-ever game between the two programs.

Game #5: West Virginia Wesleyan College JV 5, Madison College 4

Saturday's opening game was closely played after both teams tallied a first inning run on a passed ball. Madison College had a chance to break the game open in the second with the bases loaded until a strikeout of Ellie Rademacher erased the threat. Three straight singles in the top of the third put WVWC ahead 2-1, and a three-spot in the fourth made it 5-1 and forced started Brooke Cimler out of the game.

The WolfPack answered in the home half, putting two runners in scoring position with a walk and a double. Mackenzie Backman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, which was followed by run-scoring hits from pinch hitter Sophie Rivera and Ellie Rademacher to pull the Pack within a run. An opportunity to tie the game in the sixth came after two single, however, consecutive pop outs ended the inning. 

Rademacher and Backman each registered a pair of hits and a run batted in, while Rivera finished with a run scored and one driven in on a single hit. 

Cimler (0-1) was given the loss in her pitching debut as the Hales Corners, Wisconsin, native gave up five runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits and three free passes. She also struck out a pair before Claire Smedema took over in the fourth and tossed the final 3.2 innings with just two hits and a walk allowed. She fanned five batters in another first-ever meeting between the two teams. 

Game #6: Madison College 9, Mid Michigan College 5

The WolfPack recovered to earn a come-from-behind win over the Lakers to close out Saturday. Mid Michigan College jumped out to a three-run lead in the first on six singles against starter Ella Wyskochil, who was replaced by sophomore Kiana Patterson before the inning ended. Two singles and an error in the third put MMC ahead 4-0 before the Madison College bats came to life in the top of the fourth.

Sophomore Sophie Rivera roped a first pitch home run beyond the right field wall to get the WolfPack started. Patterson doubled in Lillie Pluer and then scored on Sammy Nelson's single up the middle. A pair of Lakers errors allowed Karis Paulson and Nelson to cross home, giving Madison College a 5-4 advantage. 

After the Lakers pulled even in their half of the fourth, Pluer flexed her hitting muscles with a three-run bomb in the fifth to make it 8-5. Makenna Gish drove in the game's final run with a single in the sixth.

Four players posted multiple hits, led by a 3 for 4 performance from Rivera. The Ixonia, Wisconsin, native had three extra base hits, including her third home run of the season and fourth of her career, en route to two runs scored and one batted in.

Pluer, a former Whitnall HS athlete, matched her career-high's of three runs batted in and two runs scored as part of a 2 for 4 game at the plate. The first year infielder is one of three WolfPack players to boast three home runs on the season.

Patterson, second year righthander from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, improved to 2-0 on the season after limiting the Lakers to two unearned runs on five hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. She struck out four before giving way to Ella Wyskochil for the final two outs. Wyskochil surrendered three runs on six hits in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Game #7: Iowa Lakes Community College 19, Madison College 8 (5 innings)

Iowa Lakes Community College used a pair of eight-run innings to bust open a close game. The Lakers plated one run off starter Kiana Patterson in the first inning before leaving the bases loaded. Three-runs on three hits in the second created a little separation before ILCC exploded for eight runs in both the third and fourth innings. 

The WolfPack got on the board in the fourth thanks to an error and four walks to make it 20-3. Five more bases on balls along with a pair of run scoring fielder's choices and a Madison Coubal RBI-single rounded out the scoring in the fifth. 

Madison College registered just three hits and earned nine walks. Coubal finished with a hit, a run batted in, and a run scored, while Lillie Pluer led the team with two runs scored.

Patterson (2-1) suffered her first loss in 2023 after being tagged for 11 earned runs on seven hits and five walks in 2.1 innings of work. She also struck out three. Ella Wyskochil took over for two innings and gave up four runs and three hits before fellow first year Hanna Aldrich allowed five earned runs off a hit and five walks in her two-thirds of an inning. Aldrich did record two K's.

Game #8: Iowa Lakes Community College 4, Madison College 0

The WolfPack fared better in the second game of the day against Iowa Lakes Community College, but were unable to generate any runs. The Lakers again grabbed an early lead with a run in the first inning against sophomore Addison Warner. Madison College seemed primed for a big inning in the top of the second with the bases loaded and no outs, however, a fly out, strikeout, and fielder's choice ended the inning. 

It remained a one-run game into the fourth inning when ILCC opened with consecutive singles, and then scored two runs on a error in centerfield. The WolfPack stranded two more runners in the fifth, and then fell behind by four runs in the bottom half thanks to two straight singles and a sacrifice fly.

Makenna Gish delivered two of the WolfPack's six hits.

Warner (0-2), a native of Gilman, Wisconsin, worked all six innings and was credited with just one earned run on six hits, while also fanning two.

The Lakers, who are now ranked #20 in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, lead the all-time series with Madison College by a 5-3 tally, with all eight meetings taking place in Florida.

Up Next:

Madison College (5-5) will play two more games on Monday, starting with a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch against Heartland Community College and concluding with a newly-scheduled 3:30 p.m. CT contest against Spoon River College. The WolfPack is 2-1 against the Hawks and 0-1 against the Snappers all-time. Follow games via the GameChanger app, and select games will stream live via Flo Softball. 

Follow WolfPack softball: Facebook | Twitter