MADISON, WISC. - Following a frustrating loss the day before, the Madison College softball team put its best foot forward Friday with a resounding doubleheader sweep in Region 4 play against Sauk Valley Community College. The WolfPack rolled to a 15-0 win in five innings in the opener at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field, and then walked off another run-ruled win with a 10-1 victory in five innings in game two. The wins improve the Pack's lead in the all-time series with the Skyhawks to 17-5.

Game #1: Madison College 15, Sauk Valley Community College 0 (5 innings)

Madison College put up multiple runs in every inning en route to their second-largest margin of victory of the season. A walk, a steal, an error, and a single over the first two at-bats gave the home team a quick 1-0 lead as Sammy Nelson brought in Karis Paulson. Then, with two outs on the scoreboard, Mackenna Schultz and Ellie Rademacher connected on back-to-back run-scoring singles to make it 3-0. 

Paulson's second time at the dish resulted in her first career home run, a two-run blast over the right field wall to make it 5-0. A six-run third inning saw the advantage swell to 11 runs as the first seven batters all reached safely, including three via walks. Freshman Jenna Redders doubled in Rademacher, Paulson added to her already impressive totals with a base-loaded two-bagger that scored all three runs, and Makenna Gish singled her in.

Four more insurance runs were added in the fourth on a walk and three hits. With two runners on, Paulson finished off her career day with a RBI-single to right, and then scored along with Charielle Butler on Nelson's triple to the left field wall. Nelson was the final run tally as she crossed home on a productive ground out by Hanna Richter.

Paulson, a native of Monroe, Wisconsin, becomes the second player in program history with five RBI and four runs scored in the same game, joining Cheyenne Holmes after she accomplished the feat in a Region 4 Quarterfinal game against Kishwaukee College on April 28, 2015. She finished 3 for 3 at the plate with two extra base hits and a walk.

Nelson, hitting right behind Paulson in the lineup, nearly kept pace with her second 4 for 4 game of the season. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, native set career-high's with three runs scored and three batted in.

While the offense was stacking up runs, sophomore Claire Smedema (3-1) as piling up strikeouts in the pitcher's circle. The righthander from Watertown, Wisconsin, fanned a season-best eight batters and scattered just two hits and a walk over five innings. The two hits came against the first two batters she faced, and Smedema recovered by retiring the next ten batters in a row.

Game #2: Madison College 10, Sauk Valley Community College 1 (5 innings)

Game two came to a close with some fireworks, but not after the WolfPack methodically pulled away to earn the sweep. Freshman Madison Coubal doubled in Mackenzie Backman in the second, which also saw Coubal score on a Mackenna Schultz single to make it 2-0. Sophomore Kiana Patterson unloaded in the third with a two-run bomb to left for her second career long ball. 

The advantage increased to 7-0 in the fourth with run-scoring hits from Karis Paulson, Sammy Nelson, and Makenna Gish. Sauk Valley (1-13) scored their first and only run of the day in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to avoid the run-rule decision, which came when freshman Kaylin Bergum smashed a three-run home run to left to walk-off with the win.



Bergum's first career homer gave her career-high three runs batted in. Patterson finish with two thanks to her home run, and was one of three players with multiple hits in the game. Nelson and Coubal both finished with two hits, two runs scored, and one run batted in.

Patterson, a Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, native, also worked hard in the circle to improve her pitching record to 3-3 this season. She allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out four.

Up Next:

Madison College (10-12, 2-2) is off for a week until the travel to Highland Community College (13-8) on Friday, April 14. The WolfPack are 16-6 and riding a ten-game win streak over the Cougars. First pitch of the doubleheader in Freeport, Illinois, is set for 3:00 p.m.

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