Iowa rallies for doubleheader sweep of Badgers
May 06, 2009 | Softball
Despite a go-ahead home run by Ashley Hanewich and a three-hit performance from Jennifer Krueger, the Wisconsin softball team fell to Iowa, 5-4, in nine innings in the second game of a Big Ten Conference doubleheader Wednesday in at Pearl Field.
The victory concluded a sweep of the twinbill for the Hawkeyes, who scored an 8-0 win in five innings in the opening game.
Relive the games with Brian Mason's postid=2114"> --> Gameday Blog.
Hanewich blasted her solo homer, the second of her career, in the top of the sixth inning to give the Badgers a 4-3 lead. Iowa answered, however, with a tally in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings and then used a walk-off solo home run by Colleen McGlaughlin in the bottom of the ninth to claim the victory.
The homer made a winner of Brittany Weil (24-10), who pitched the final 4 2/3 innings in relief for Iowa and struck out nine UW batters. Leah Vanevenhoven (7-15) took the loss for the Badgers, as she threw the final three innings in relief of starter Letty Olivarez.
The Badgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a big third inning that saw them tag starter Amanda Zust for three runs on four hits. Alexis Garcia got the scoring started by driving in Krueger and Vanevenhoven with a two-RBI single she sliced up the middle.
One batter later, Valyncia Raphael dropped in a single to plate Livi Abney, who had drawn a walk to reach base.
The Hawkeyes answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, though, and then pushed another pair of tallies across in the fifth even things up at 3-3.
Other than the pair of triples that Iowa smacked in the fifth to score their two runs, Olivarez didn't give the Hawkeyes much to work with in the circle. She pitched five innings and allowed just five hits, combining with Vanevenhoven for performances that led to the Hawkeyes stranding 10 runners on base.
Still, the Badgers left six of their own on the basepaths, where they were paced by Theresa Boruta's pair of steals.
After being no-hit by Weil in the opener, the Badgers collected seven hits in the nightcap, including Krueger's 3-for-5 performance.
In the opener, the Hawkeyes ran out to a 8-0 lead in four innings, but the Badgers had two runners on with two outs when rain and lightning moved in during the top of the fifth. After a 47-minute weather delay, the Badgers were unable to plate a run and Iowa earned the win.
The Hawkeyes improve to 40-14 on the season, including an 11-7 mark in the Big Ten, while the Badgers fall to 15-38 and 3-15 in conference play.
The Badgers host their final series of the season this weekend, as they welcome Northwestern to Goodman Diamond for single games on Saturday and Sunday.
