After being knocked out of regionals by UW–Whitewater last year, Chicago came into the doubleheader on Saturday ready to play. However, this chip on its shoulder did not prove to be enough to overcome the No.16–ranked team in the nation. In the two hard-fought games, the Maroons fell twice to UW–Whitewater with scores of 2–1 and 8–5.
The first game was low-scoring on both sides as UW–Whitewater went ahead 1–0 in the bottom of the first inning after scoring on a passed ball. The Maroons held the team at one until UW–Whitewater sent in another run with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Although the Maroons put three runners on base in the fifth inning, they could not get on the scoreboard until their next time up, during which third-year third baseman Kathleen Kohm led off with a double and was brought home on a double by first-year first baseman Alyssa Stolmack. UW–Whitewater then held the South Siders for the rest of the game to end up with the 2–1 win.
Third-year pitcher Jordan Poole tossed for six innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. As fourth-year shortstop Tabbetha Bohac summed up for the first game, “Jordan pitched really well…and we had a lot of runners get on base but we just couldn’t bring them home.”
Entering the second game, the Maroons were even more determined to get on top right away. Chicago did just that as it grabbed the eaarly lead when third–year outfielder Devan Parkison started the game with a double and was sent home on an RBI single from second-year outfielder Anna Woolery. The South Siders carried that momentum into the second inning and Bohac started the squad off with a solo home run—her fourth of the season.
Chicago kept the bats going and eventually was up 5–2 by the fourth inning, with an error bringing in one run in the third, Woolery knocking in another with a bases-loaded single, and Stolmack drawing a walk to force in another run.
The Warhawks battled back and scored all eight of their runs off of home runs. A two-run homer tied the game 2–2 in the second inning, and another brought UW–Whitewater one point away from the Maroons at 5–4 in the fifth. UW–Whitewater then hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win.
First-year pitcher Molly Moran pitched for six innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts, while Bohac absorbed the loss in the seventh inning with four runs, three hits, and one walk.
Looking forward to the rest of their season, second-year utility Maggie O’Hara said, “We’re focusing on trying to win out and end up with an over .500 record. We definitely have the ability and talent to do this as long as we stay focused.”
The South Siders will play 5–23 North Park, whom they beat in both games last year, away on Monday, April 20. Chicago will then play 17–12 Wheaton, whom they beat in two close games last year, at home on Thursday, April 23.
