Softball Closes Out Regular Season this Weekend
May 02, 2008 | Softball
The University of Wisconsin softball team will close out its regular season this weekend with a pair of home games against Minnesota. Saturday's game and Sunday's game will both begin at 12 p.m. and will take place at Goodman Diamond.
The Badgers enter this weekend having won three of their past four. After sweeping UW-Green Bay in a doubleheader last Wednesday, Wisconsin split a doubleheader with Ohio State over the weekend. In the second game against the Buckeyes, the Badgers rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to win. Freshman Livi Abney (Lawrence, Kan.) launched the second home run of her career to bring the game to a 3-3 tie. Following Abney's heroics, Wisconsin got runners to second and third and junior Theresa Boruta (Chicago, Ill.) followed with a single to shortstop. On the throw to first, freshman Jennifer Krueger (Portage, Wis.) broke for home and, while the ball beat her to the plate, she was able to dislodge it as she slid in to give the Badgers the victory.
Senior Joey Daniels (Oakley, Calif.) leads the team in eight offensive categories including batting average (.288), on-base percentage (.482), walks (30) and hits (40). Fellow senior Lynn Anderson (Neenah, Wis.) is tops on the team with a .493 slugging percentage and nine home runs, including two in the doubleheader against UW-Green Bay. Junior Valyncia Raphael (La Habra, Calif.) has a team-leading 22 RBI.
Wisconsin has had junior Leah Vanevenhoven (Kaukauna, Wis.) and sophomore Letty Olivarez (Newark, Calif.) in the circle for most of the season. In 176.2 innings this year, Vanevenhoven has an earned run average of 4.23, nine complete games, 132 strikeouts and a .226 opponents' batting average. Olivarez has thrown three complete games, struck out 116 batters and held opponents to a .262 batting average in 142.2 innings.
Minnesota currently sits in fourth place in the Big Ten with a 7-7 conference mark and a 26-15 record overall. The Gophers have won four of their past five games, including a doubleheader sweep of UW-Green Bay on Wednesday. With a 4-0 win in game one, the Gophers recorded the 1000th win in program history.
Colleen Conway leads the team in batting average, with a .331 mark, is second in on-base percentage, reaching base at a .376 clip and first in stolen bases with 11. Malisa Barnes is tops in home runs with four and slugging percentage at .460. She is tied for the team lead in RBI with Amber Nelsen at 21.
The Gophers have used two pitchers this season, with Briana Hassett leading the way in most categories. In 172 innings pitched, Hassett has a 1.79 ERA, an 18-7 record and 239 strikeouts. She has completed 22 of the 23 games she has started and has held opponents to a .184 batting average.
In addition to the softball games, there will be an assortment of weekend activities at Goodman Diamond. To find out more, click sportid=126&storyid=13875"> --> here .
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