LITTLE RIVER, SO. CAROLINA - The final day of the Madison College softball team's annual South Carolina Spring Trip presented a rare tripleheader after a rain out on Monday, and the WolfPack won one of the three games to finish their trip with an 8-3 record. The Pack took care of NJCAA Division III #8 Herkimer College with an 8-0 shutout in five innings, before failing to score a run in back-to-back losses of 4-0 and 8-0 against NJCAA Division II #8 Louisburg College.

Game #1: Madison College 8, #8 Herkimer College 0 (5 innings)

Madison College took advantage of a pair of hits and walks to load the bases and then score the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Bertina Dodge came through with a two-out line drive to right that brought in Rylee Rogers, who opened the game with a line drive single. An inning later, the advantage grew to 2-0 when Herkimer College (0-1) committed an error on a Hanna Stremkowski fly ball to center, allowing Bailey Mester to race around third and score.

In the third, consecutive walks and a two-out single loaded the bases for freshman Cora Nelson, who delivered a two-run double to left that plated Brooke Anderson and Amie Richmond for a 4-0 lead.

The game ended due to run-rule in the bottom of the fifth when the WolfPack put up a four-spot. Two singles sandwiched around a walk again filled the bases, and then Stremkowski cleared them all with a three-bagger to left. Maya Dzick followed with a line drive through the left side that scored Stremkowski for the walk-off win.

Nine different players registered a hit for Madison College. Stremkowski, a native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, finished with a hit, a run scored, and a game-high three runs batted in to match her career-best. Nelson, a former Mishicot HS athlete, drove in two with her lone hit. Dodge and Dzick each registered a hit and a RBI.

Rogers, Anderson, Richmond, and Kaley Koltz all produced a hit and a run scored.

In the circle, freshman Jeneya Marquez Perez (3-0) remained unbeaten with five innings of four-hit ball. The righthander struck out three batters and walked on.

The was the first meeting all-time against the Generals.



Game #2: #8 Louisburg College 4, Madison College 0

Louisburg College pitching limited the WolfPack bats to just two hits in the game, while also recording nine strikeouts. Brooke Anderson led off the top of the second with a single to right, and Rylee Rogers grounded a ball back up the middle to reach safely with one out in the sixth. Madison College was unable to advance a runner beyond second base.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The runs came as a result of three hits, one hit batter, one passed ball, and one error.  The differential grew to 4-0 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.

Starting pitcher Kendall Weik (3-1) suffered her first loss of the season after allowing four runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits and a walk. She recorded three strikeouts over six innings.

Game #2: #8 Louisburg College 8, Madison College 0 (5 innings)

Game two against Louisburg College (23-6) also saw the Hurricanes grab a big early lead as they scored four runs against starter Brooke Steinhorst and the WolfPack in the opening half inning. Back-to-back triples started the scoring, and a single and a sacrifice fly added to it. In the second, a two-out triple and single added up to another run for a 5-0 advantage. The lead grew to six runs in the third after the Hurricanes' fourth triple of the game led to a run on a ground out to the first baseman by the next batter.

Louisburg College went up 7-0 in the fourth with two singles sandwiched around a stolen base. And they reached the run rule differential in the fifth courtesy of a passed ball.

The WolfPack, who doubled their hit total from the first game with four, had their best chance to put runs on the board in the fourth after a Raegen Schwarz single and Steinhorst double put runners on second and third with one out. They were unable to score on a potential sac fly to center by Brooke Anderson and then Kendall Weik grounded out the end the threat. Trying to prolong the game in the fifth, the Pack had runners at first and second with one away when the Hurricanes turned a game-ending double-play on an Ava Stahl ground ball to second.

Steinhorst (2-2) was tagged for seven earned runs over five innings en route to the loss. She gave up nine hits and walked two batters, while also striking out three.

Rogers, Schwarz, Steinhorst, and Hayden Schabel each accounted for a hit in the game.

Madison College is now 0-3 all-time against Louisburg College.



Up Next: 

Madison College (8-3) will return home from South Carolina and host their home opener on Saturday, March 22 against Highland Community College (3-5). The WolfPack is 20-6 in the all-time series with the Cougars. First pitch at Robert D. Goodman Softball Field is set for noon, followed by an expected 2:00 p.m. start for game two of the doubleheader. Follow live stats via the GameChanger app and stream live video at MadisonCollege.TV.

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