Cleveland, OH — The UW-Whitewater softball team claimed the NCAA Regional title with a 7-3 win over Case Western Reserve University Saturday. The Warhawks went 3-0 at the regional hosted by CWRU to punch their ticket to Super Regionals.
UW-Whitewater will take on St. Mary’s (MN) for the best-of-three Supers series. The location and times of Super Regional games will be announced when made official by the NCAA.
After a three-up, three-down inning for both teams in the first, the Spartans threatened in the second. Auburn Roberson (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) robbed the extension of an at bat for the leadoff with a nifty sliding catch in foul territory for the first out. CWRU drew a walk and pushed the runner into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. The Spartans put runners on the corners with an infield single before Josie Hammen (Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly) got out of the jam with a strikeout.
UWW responded in the bottom half of the inning with two out offense. Roberson turned her stellar defense into clutch offense with the Warhawks’ first back knock of the game. Claire Kohnle (Tisch Mills, Wis./Kewaunee) made the pitcher work — after falling down 0-2 in the count, the senior fouled off a pitch before watching the next four balls sail by out of the zone for the walk. JJ Jakosalem (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Buffalo Grove) followed suit with a walk to load the bases. Kaitlyn Weidemann (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) sent a hard shot back up the middle for a single to center that plated two for the 2-0 UWW lead.
Case Western Reserve knotted the game with back-to-back four baggers to open the fourth. A couple of singles later and the Spartans had their only lead of the game, 3-2.
UW-Whitewater responded immediately in their half of the frame, once again scoring with two outs. Kohnle sent a rocket off the wall in center field for a double. Weidemann singled before Taylor Koehler (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda) drew a huge pinch hit walk to load the bases. Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) took one for the team off of her front leg for the RBI hit-by-pitch. A wild pitch had all of the Warhawks on the bases moving with Weidemann sliding into home safely to give UWW a 4-3 advantage.
After a three-up, three-down top of the fifth, UW-Whitewater’s bats added one more in the bottom of the inning. Roberson was hit-by-pitch and Kohnle drew another walk. Roberson came around to score on Weidemann’s single down the right field line.
Giese kept the offense going in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single to left center. Grace Wickman (Wausaukee, Wis./Peshtigo) stepped to the plate and took the first pitch for a ball. The next offering had the powerful righty swinging, connecting and the UWW bench yelling BOOM as the no-doubter left the park, easily clearing the wall in left field. The senior trotted around the bases, meeting her celebrating teammates at home plate.
With a four-run, 7-3 lead heading into the seventh, the Warhawk defense held. As Kohnle secured the final out in left field, the Warhawks streamed out of the dugout to the mound in celebration.
Weidemann was a perfect 3-3 at the dish with 3 RBI. Wickman added the two-run bomb to cap the scoring.
Hammen tossed the first three innings before Hock came in to claim the win in the game with four shutout innings of work.
Hammen, Wickman and Dani Peshia (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) were named to the All-Tournament Team while Weidemann was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Regional.
