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Cleveland, OH — The UW-Whitewater softball team topped host Case Western Reserve 7-6 in an eight inning thriller Friday to advance to the Regional Championship game. The Warhawks’ opponent for the title game will be determined upon completion of Friday’s slate of games.  [The Warhawks will be playing Case Western Reserve again on Saturday at 10 a.m. They will play Case again at 12:30 p.m. “if necessary,” which appears to be if the Warhawks lose the 10 a.m. game.] It should be possible to watch the game(s) here.

UWW showcased grit and determination in the complete team win over the Spartans. However, the start to the game was one no fans of either team saw coming. After a three-up, three-down top of the first for the Warhawks (UWW was the home team via coin flip), the bottom of the frame showcased UW-Whitewater’s discipline at the plate against a rise ball pitcher. Five Warhawks reached on free passes – four by walk and one via hit-by-pitch. Meanwhile, Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) singled to center field for the lone hit of the inning. All together three Warhawks touched home in the first for the 3-0 lead and before the inning was complete, UWW had chased the Spartans’ ace from the circle. 

Case Western Reserve struck back, taking advantage of the tight zone and scoring two runs with the help of four walks in the top of the second to narrow the gap to 3-2. After 1.5 innings, nine free passes had been issued and the teams had just one hit combined while five runs had been tallied. 

The Spartans captured their first, and only lead of the game, in the top of the third. Two singles, an error, a walk and a stolen base set up and plated the pair of runs for CWRU. The lead was short-lived as the Warhawks had an immediate response. 

In the bottom of the third, Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) led off with a walk. With two outs, Claire Kohnle (Tisch Mills, Wis./Kewaunee) watched four straight balls and headed down to first and Wickman advanced into scoring position. Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) was tapped for the pinch hit. The powerful lefty sent a blast to the wall in right center for a two-RBI double. Kaitlyn Weidemann (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) followed with a hit that fell in the Bermuda Triangle just inside the foul line in shallow right field. The base knock allowed Koehler to book it around third and slide safely into home for the 6-4 UWW lead. 

The Spartans threatened in the top of the next inning with a speedy runner on when Kohnle made arguably the greatest catch of the season for UWW. A deep fly ball had the left fielder sprinting back toward the warning track. On the run, Kohnle reached up for an over-the-shoulder catch and as the ball hit her glove, she hit the wall. The ball was jarred loose but Kohnle used her free hand to reign it in before hitting the ground. Kohnle held up the ball as the umpires signaled for a catch to end the inning. 

The 6-4 advantage for UW-Whitewater held until the top of the seventh. The Spartans were down to their last out when a double plated two and then the CWRU defense held to send the game into extras. 

Case Western’s leadoff reached on a miscue and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) got out of the jam with a fly out and a pop out to bring up the Warhawk bats. 

Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) battled for a walk on a full count to open the bottom of the eighth and the speedy Belle Lapacek (Downers Grove, Ill./South) took over on the basepaths. Wickman laid down a perfectly placed bunt for the sacrifice to move Lapacek into scoring position. Peshia tagged a rocket to center field that caromed off the jumping centerfielder’s glove. Lapacek had to wait to make sure the ball was down and was held up at third as Peshia legged out the double. Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) connected on the very next pitch with a liner to center for the walkoff single. 

All in all, the teams combined for 14 hits and 17 walks. Peshia was 3-5 at the dish while Roberson tallied two RBI. 

Rhiann Dick (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) and Brooke Hock (Green Bay, Wis./Preble) combined for the first six innings of work in the circle. Hammen came in for the final two innings to register the win and move to 17-2 on the day. 

Adrian, Mich. – The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team survived Adrian College in the opening game of the NCAA DIII Regional Tournament. 

The Warhawks got off to a slow start offensively, recording only one hit the first time through the order. 

Adrian went the first two innings without allowing a single Warhawk base runner. The momentum of shutting out UWW carried into an RBI double for the Bulldogs to open up the scoring in the top of the 3rd. 

The Warhawks recorded their first hit in the bottom of the third, as Jackson hit a single. A double play ended the inning though, keeping the advantage on Adrian’s side.

The Warhawks were held without a runner again in the fourth, but the Warhawks finally added a run to the board with Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hitting a sacrifice fly to tie the game. With two outs, Darryl Jackson (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King) hit his two-run home run to left field, putting the Warhawks up 3-1 and sparking some life into the batting.

Adrian tied the game back in the 6th and kept the top of the Warhawk order off the base path. Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) did his work on the mound, not allowing Adrian to expand on their hitting momentum. 

The Warhawks grabbed the lead after Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) led off the bottom of the 7th with a solo home run. Thies’s home run started a 7th inning rally, scoring four runs for the Warhawks. Paden put another sacrifice fly in play, with Darryl Jackson (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King) and Dominik McVay (Mineral Point, Wis./Mineral Point) hitting back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Warhawks up 7-3.

Another three-up-three-down inning for Eisenbarth allowed another rally for the Warhawks in the eighth. Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) hit an RBI single to give the Warhawks a five run lead. 

Heading into the ninth, Adrian kept their chances alive by loading up the bases. But Brady Malkow (Brodhead, Wis./Brodhead) grabbed the last three outs of the inning, securing the win for the Warhawks & getting his first save of the season. 

On the mound, Logan Eisenbarth (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) was credited with the win, going 2.2 innings without allowing a single hit. Malkow got the save with only one hit in the last inning while striking out one.

The Warhawks will face WashU tomorrow for the second game of the Regional tournament. First pitch is set for 1:30 PM (CDT) in Adrian, Michigan.  The livestream may be viewed here.