(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College split their softball doubleheader against Madison (WI) College on Wednesday afternoon, rallying to pull out a thrilling 7-6 win in the opener before falling 11-0 in game two. The Chiefs, who have hovered around the .500 mark for much of the season, move to 16-17 overall while the Wolfpack's record now stands at 24-14.
Madison scored first in the opener pushing across a run in the top of the second courtesy of two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. That lead did not last long though as Janeen O'Reilly drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Kayla Tranter then drilled the second pitch she saw over the left field fence for a two-run homer and a 2-1 Chiefs lead.
The Wolfpack tied the game with a run in the top of the third and went ahead 4-2 in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs after a Chiefs' error on a two-out double. However, the Chiefs responded again and surged ahead with a 4-run fourth. O'Reilly and Tranter both walked to start the inning off before Ronnie Latka ripped a line single to center field to load the bases. Sarah Sandusky then walked as well to force in a run to make it a one run game. Two pitches later Hailey Ruhl singled to right field to knot the score at four as the bases remained loaded with no out. Waubonsee then took the lead on a throwing error by the Wolfpack that allowed both Latka and Sandusky to score.
Madison bounced back in the top of the fifth to tie the game once again. A single, a stolen base, another single, a sacrifice bunt, and one more single plated two runs in the inning as the Wolfpack pulled even at 6-all. Both teams went down in order during their next at bats as the contest entered the bottom of the sixth. Sandusky led off with a pop fly to shallow left centerfield that was dropped for an error to start off the frame. Ruhl then bunted her over to second base and she advanced to third on a fly out to right field by Jori Peters. Breanna O'Malley-Molk then delivered a clutch two-out, run-scoring single through the right side of the infield to put Waubonsee in front 7-6. Chiefs' pitcher Taylor Warren set down the Wolfpack in order in the seventh to seal the victory, retiring the last seven batters she faced.
Warren went the distance, scattering seven hits and three walks, while striking out six over 121 pitches to pick up her sixth win in the circle. The Chiefs finished with only four hits, but also benefited from five free passes and three Madison errors. O'Malley-Molk drove in three runs to lead the offense.
Game two was scoreless until the fourth inning when Madison erupted for four runs on five hits. The Wolfpack then blew the game open by scoring seven times in the top of the fifth to get to the 10-run slaughter rule. Waubonsee managed only one hit and had just five base runners total in the game.
The Chiefs are in action again this coming Friday, April 6, when they travel to DeKalb to take on Kishwaukee College in a single game indoors at the DeKalb Park District Fieldhouse beginning at 3:00 p.m. Waubonsee will be honoring their second year players for Sophomore Day.