 |
 | Wisconsin 11, Illinois 7
Eichelberger Field · Urbana, Ill. · Attendance: 322
Box Score | Box Score 
|  |
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | Wisconsin
| 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11
| 13 | 2
| Illinois
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14
| 1
| | Pitchers
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | | W | Stewart (8-13) | 7.0 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 4 | | L | Vecvanags (13-9) | 4.0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | | |
| |
April 17, 2015
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Badger bats came out firing. They wouldn't stop.
The Wisconsin softball team (19-23) blasted off 13 monster hits and defeated Illinois (19-22), 11-7, on its own Eichelberger Field on a nice spring day Friday.
| Fast Facts | | · Badgers pick up their first road conference win | | · Jenkins tallied three hits | | · Miller scores three runs | |
Freshman Kelsey Jenkins extended her current hitting streak to six games and helped lead the Badgers to their first conference road victory of the season.
"It was a big win for us this year being on the road and beating Illinois for how hot they've been," UW head coach Yvette Healy said. "To come in here and take the first game is a big deal. They are playing really well right now."
Freshman Kelsey Jenkins, who had a team-high three hits and three RBI on the day, got the Badger offense going right off the bat in the first inning. Jenkins ripped an RBI double to left center field and scored sophomore Chloe Miller, who got on with a single to right field. UW took an early 1-0 lead off of two hits in the top of the first.
Illinois answered with an unearned run in the bottom half of the frame. Allie Bauch scored on a fielding error by Badgers' second baseman Megan Tancill in the Illini's first at bat. The Badgers' defense was on point, as junior Katie Christner made a spectacular diving catch deep in left field foul territory to get a double play out and end the inning with only one run coming in.
Jenkins came up big for the Badgers again in the third, when she singled to center field for her second hit of the game. But, she wasn't the only one who would deliver a colossal hit for the Cardinal and White. Junior Stefanni LaJeunesse slammed a double to right center field and cleared UW's loaded bases to give Wisconsin a 4-2 lead.
The Badgers were relentless and put up three more runs off of four hits in the top of the fourth inning. Back-to-back-to-back singles from seniors Maria Van Abel and Marissa Mersch and Miller loaded the bags up to lead off the inning. Jenkins reached on a fielder's choice allowing Van Abel to score. Miller came home after senior Megan Tancill singled to left center. Wisconsin was able to get one more run as Samantha Arents was hit by a pitch when the bases were loaded, which allowed Jenkins to give UW the 7-2 advantage.
Five Badgers were hit by a pitch in the contest, including Miller being nailed twice.
Illini bats struck hard in the fifth and sixth innings by tallying a combined five runs off of six hits.
Wisconsin's offense wasn't done yet though. Mersch was walked with the bases loaded to bring in Christner for the first of four runs in the innings. With two outs and the pressure on, the Illini cut the lead down to three runs before the start of the the sixth (7-4). Jenkins was due up to the dish.
She did not falter under the burden and sent the ball flying to right field for a two-RBI single. Junior Ashley Van Zeeland followed up with an RBI single to left field to bring Miller in and clinch 11 runs for the Badgers.
"The offense was tremendous. Stefanni LaJeunesse and Kelsey Jenkins were just really seeing the ball and having really big hits in clutch situations," Healy said. "When you can go somewhere and put up 11 runs it's a big deal for our offense. I credit Coach Schneider for his really impressive offensive game plan."
Junior Taylor-Paige Stewart, who pitched a complete game in the circle for the Badgers, struck out one batter in the bottom of the seventh and forced the Illini to strand two runners on base. The Badgers finished with 11 runs to Illinois' 7 runs. The Illini outhit the Badgers, 14-13.
"I thought Taylor-Paige (Stewart) just threw a great game. They scored a couple of runs, but she just stayed the course and didn't get flustered," Healy added.
Stewart struck out four batters and walked none. She only allowed five earned runs in 38 batters faced.
Wisconsin and Illinois will be back in action tomorrow at Eichelberger Field with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. (CT).
