MADISON, WISC. - Playing a rare second doubleheader at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field before leaving on their annual spring break trip, the Madison College softball team earned a pair of wins over Region 4 opponent Sauk Valley Community College to secure their first doubleheader sweep of 2024. The WolfPack took advantage of a late Skyhawks error to break a tie game in the sixth inning of the opener, winning 6-5 before running away with a 16-6 decision in five innings to close out the twin bill. Madison College is now 19-5 in the all-time series with SVCC and has won four straight meetings.

Game #1: Madison College 6, Sauk Valley Community College 5

The WolfPack took a 1-0 lead in the day's first game with run-scoring ground out by sophomore Mackenna Schultz that drove in freshman leadoff hitter Abbey Remington. Sauk Valley Community College evened the scored in the top of the third on a leadoff solo home run by Ana-Kate Phillips. It ignited a four-hit, three-run inning for the Skyhawks against second year starter Ella Wyskochil. 

Wyskochil's teammates had her back as Madison College answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the third. The inning opened with three consecutive extra base hits. It started with a double by Ava Stahl, and followed by a RBI-triple off the bat of Schultz and a game-tying two-bagger from Brooke Anderson. A fielder's choice two batters later gave the Pack a 4-3 advantage.

Another solo home run by SVCC's Phillips tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth, and forced the WolfPack to the bullpen with freshman Kendall Weik. She retired the first five batters she faced, allowing the home team to again take a one-run lead thanks to four consecutive singles to start the fifth inning. Anderson drove in Stahl to make it 5-4, but unfortunately, Madison College was unable to score another run despite having the bases loaded with no outs.

The top of the sixth saw Sauk Valley load the bases with two outs, and then draw a bases loaded walk from Weik to tie the game. In the home half, the WolfPack earned a pair of base runners on consecutive free passes, and after a fielder's choice put the go-ahead run at third, Anderson reached safely on a misplayed throw at first base to score Stahl for a 6-5 lead. Weik worked a four-batter top of the seventh to close out the win.



Stahl, an infielder from Wautoma, Wisconsin, was 3 for 3 at the plate with a walk and scored three runs. Schultz and Anderson followed Stahl in the lineup and each went 2 for 4 with two runs batted in and a run scored.

Weik (1-1) earned her first collegiate victory after 3.2 innings in relief. The Fifield, Wisconsin, native, held SVCC to a run on three hits and two walks, while also striking out five batters. Wyskochil allowed seven runs on a walk and seven hits, including a pair of homers, and fanned one over 3.1 innings in the circle.

Game #1: Madison College 16, Sauk Valley Community College 6 (5 innings)

Both teams came out swinging in the second game, but it would be Madison College that provided the most pop at the plate. Sauk Valley Community College (1-3) used four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles, off freshman Brooke Steinhorst to open up a 3-0 lead. An inning-ending double play turned by Steinhorst and shortstop Jenna Redders kept the differential at three.

Then the Madison College bats took over, sending 26 batters to the plate over the first three innings, including nine each in the first and second. Centerfielder Abbey Remington started the game with a leadoff with triple, and scored on an Ava Stahl ground out. Second year catcher Mackenna Schultz followed with a solo home run over the centerfield wall for team's first long ball of the season and the second of her career. A Steinhorst double and two Skyhawks errors followed to make it 5-3.

After Steinhorst fanned consecutive batters to strand two runners in the top of the second, the WolfPack offense got right back to work as Remington doubled to deep center to start the bottom half. With two outs on the board, Madison College generated three runs hits by Anderson, Redders, and Steinhorst before capping the four-run frame with another run via error.

The advantage stretched to 13-3 in the third on three hits and two errors. Schultz and Steinhorst each doubled in a run, while Brooke Cimler's picked up her first RBI of the season with a single to right to plate pinch runner Hannah Aldrich.

The Skyhawks tried to get back into the game in the fourth, using a two-run home run to spark a three-run inning, but the home team's offense kept right on going. Three straight singles began the bottom half and made it 15-6 as Stahl drove in Tailer Bartelt and Remington. Another SVCC error drove in the game's final run to return the lead to double-digits and set up the run-ruled victory.

Madison College finished with 14 hits, including eight that went for extra bases. Steinhorst helped her own cause with a career day at the dish as she went 3 for 3 with three doubles and a walk. The freshman from Poynette, Wisconsin, finished with three runs batted in and two runs scored. In the circle, Steinhorst improved to 2-0 on the season with five innings of work and eight strikeouts. She was credited with six earned runs on a dozen hits and one walk.

Remington, an Elkhorn, Wisconsin, native, also enjoyed a career day with the bat, posting three hits and scoring three runs. The speedster had a double and a triple. Schultz and Anderson each had two hits and two runs scored, with the former driving in a pair and the later picking up one RBI. Stahl matched Steinhorst with a career-high three runs driven in, while scoring two, as well. And Redders had two RBI and two runs scored in the game.

Up Next:

Madison College (3-1) heads south for their annual spring trip, which changes course to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after 11 straight years of playing in Florida. The WolfPack are slated to play ten games over six days, starting with matchups against Lackawanna College (7-4) and Ancilla College (0-2) on Friday, March 8 at 8:00 a.m. and noon, respectively. Madison College has never played the Falcons, and are 2-2 all-time against the Chargers. Live video and stats off all games can be found via the GameChanger app.

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