Softball Splits With UW-Green Bay
May 01, 2002 | Softball
After splitting with UW-Green Bay last week on the road, it was deja vu for the Wisconsin softball team as it won the first game of its twinbill versus the Phoenix, 6-0, and lost the second game, 2-0, at the Goodman Diamond Wednesday. The Badgers record moves to 29-18 on the season, while UWGB's mark shifts to 9-31.
The Badgers got off to a great start in the first game, notching four runs with their first four batters in the bottom of the first. Kerry Hagen walked to start things off and Mandy Liles added a hit and Kristin Zacher took a base on four balls to load the bases. Anna Jones stepped in the batters box with the bases juiced and knocked a single up the middle into centerfield to score Hagen and Liles. Meghann Reiss stepped up to the plate next and singled to score Zacher and put runners on first and third. Nicki Starry finished the inning's scoring with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Wisconsin put two more runs on the board in the second inning off of UWGB's pitcher, Bridget Paul, who relieved Lizi Sowers in the top of the second. Three straight singles by Diana Consolmagno, Hagen and Liles accounted for UW's fifth run and Jones singled with two outs to close the game's scoring. Jones ' three RBIs upped her team-leading total to 20.
Andrea Kirchberg shut down the Phoenix batters, tying her school single-game record with 15 strikeouts and allowing no runs on just two hits in game one. Through the fourth and fifth innings and into the sixth, Kirchberg struck out seven straight batters. It was the seventh shutout of the season for the junior hurler.
In the second contest, the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when UWGB put its two runs on the board. The Phoenix loaded the bases with two outs and Amber Techlin cranked a ball into rightfield. UWGB tallied two runs and a third would have been posted, but Connie Koceja missed third rounding the base and was called out when she tagged home.
The Badgers threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first and one out. Starry nearly tied the game up with a shot that flew deep into leftfield, but drifted foul and into the glove of the leftfielder at the fence.
Frosh Katie Layne struck out 10 in seven innings of game-two work, allowing two unearned runs on four hits.
The Badgers close out their regular season at home this weekend against Big Ten foe Minnesota. Bucky takes on Goldy Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Goodman Diamond.
