MADISON, WISC. - Thanks to surprisingly warm temperatures for late-February in Wisconsin, the Madison College softball team was able to move up their season-opener for the 2024 season with a home doubleheader Tuesday, and came away with a split against in-state rival Milwaukee Area Technical College at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field. The Region 4 twin bill opened with a resounding 11-2 run-ruled win in six innings for the WolfPack, who got a one-hitter from freshman pitcher Brooke Steinhorst in her collegiate debut. The Stormers then held off a late rally by the Pack in the nightcap to claim an 8-5 decision that snapped a 15-game win streak by Madison College in the head-to-head series that stands at 22-12.

Game #1: Madison College 11, (6 innings)

Milwaukee Tech got on the scoreboard in the first, courtesy of a walk, a dropped third strike, and an error by WolfPack catcher Mackenna Schultz during an attempted double steal. An inning later, Schultz made up their fielding blunder with a leadoff single and scored when fellow sophomore Karis Paulson followed with a single to right. Second year shortstop Jenna Redders roped a line drive to left in the next at bat, allowing Paulson to score for a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, freshman Brooke Anderson recorded her first collegiate RBI with a double over the left fielder's head to make it a 3-1 advantage.

Anderson came through again in the fourth inning, smashing a single to center that brought in Redders from second for a three-run lead. The Stormers got one run back in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly two batters after the leadoff hitter ended the no-hit bid of Steinhorst. Back-to-back walks in the home half of the fifth set up Schultz for a run-producing opportunity, which she took advantage of with a double to the left field wall and driving in freshmen Ava Stahl and Rylee Rogers.



The 6-2 lead jumped to 11-2 in the bottom of the sixth to end the game via run rule. Following a triple to start the frame by Redders, Steinhorst helped her own cause with a sac fly to left. Singles by four of the next five batters culminated in a two-run base hit to center for Stahl to make it 9-2. Then Schultz closed the lid on the season's first win with a line drive two-bagger to center, scoring Rogers and Stahl again to make it a nine-run victory.

Steinhorst (1-0), a first year righthander from Poynette, Wisconsin, struck out eight batters and allowed just one hit over her six innings of work. She was credited with one earned run and also walked two batters.

A trio of WolfPack batters finished with three hits in the game as the home team tallied 13 in all. Schultz, a native of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was 3 for 4 with four runs batted in and one run scored, and Redders, a former Middleton HS athlete, used her 3 for 3 day to drive in a run and score three more. Anderson, a first year catcher/infielder from Plain, Wisconsin, generated two RBI with her three hits. Stahl, an infielder from Wautoma, Wisconsin, reached base three times and tallied two runs scored and two batted in.

Game #2: Milwaukee Area Technical College 8, Madison College 5

The day's second game featured a rough start and end for the WolfPack, who saw their 15-game win streak over MATC-Milwaukee (1-1) come to an end with the season's first loss. The Stormers got to starting pitcher Kendall Weik with a leadoff double and scored two batters later on a ground out to first. A walk and a single followed to put runners on with two outs, and Milwaukee Tech came through with back-to-back run-scoring base hits for a 4-0 lead. Madison College got one run back in the bottom half as second baseman Ava Stahl's ground ball to short ended with an error at first base that allowed first year Abbey Remington to score from second. 

A successful sacrifice bunt in the top of the third put the Stormer on top 5-1. The Madison College bats came to life in the fourth inning after Stahl tripled to right to begin the frame, and scored on a Mackenna Schultz single through the right side. Schultz eventually crossed home thank to a clutch two-out single up the middle by Karis Paulson to get the differential down to two runs. A pair of extra base hits in the top of the fifth for Milwaukee Tech against reliever Ella Wyskochil pushed the lead to 6-3.

Madison College kept fighting, and in the bottom of the sixth, they clawed to within a run. Back-to-back triples to start the inning by Schultz and Brooke Anderson made it 6-4, before Paulson grounded out to second to drive in Anderson for a 6-5 ball game. That momentum, however, was lost when the Stormer Ryan Pagano took Wyskochil over the centerfield wall for a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for an 8-5 advantage.

Schultz went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a run batted in. Remington, a native of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, also had two hits and scored a run. Paulson led the WolfPack with two RBI. The WolfPack finished with eight hits, half of which went for triples.

In the circle, Weik (0-1) took her first collegiate loss after surrendering five runs on five hits and two walks. The former Phillips HS athlete did strike out three batters in her three innings of work. Wyskochil tossed the final four innings and was tagged for three runs on five hits, while also setting down four batters via strike out.

Up Next:

Madison College (1-1) is schedule to host another early season doubleheader on Thursday, February 29 against Sauk Valley Community College (0-0). The WolfPack are 17-5 all-time against the Skyhawks, including a sweep of two games last season. First pitch at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field is slated for 3:00 p.m., with game two to follow at approximately 5:00 p.m. Both games will stream live at MadisonCollege.TV, with live stats available via the GameChanger app.

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