EAST LANSING, Mich. – The second-most runs in a single inning in program history lifted the Wisconsin softball team past Michigan State in both teams' conference opener, 10-1.

"I'm really proud of the team, I think it was a total team effort," head coach Yvette Healy said. "There was some good pitching, some good defense and good hitting. When you can combine all three of those things, it makes it a little easier to get the W."

The Badgers (15-11 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) trailed 1-0 heading into the fourth inning after a double to center field in the bottom of the first gave the Spartans the early advantage, but that wouldn't last long.

Three consecutive Badger batters walked to lead off the top of the fourth inning and load the bases. Freshman Kelly Welsh followed with a fielder's choice that allowed sophomore Brianna Flugaur, who was in to pinch run for Sara Novak, to bring the first run across the plate.

And then the hits just kept coming.

Freshman Brooke Mann pinch hit and sliced an RBI single through the middle to run the score to 2-1.

Seniors Macy Oswald and Ashley Van Zeeland followed up with singles of their own to make it a 4-1 game with still no outs on the board. Sophomore Kelsey Jenkins shot a two-RBI single to left field to escalate UW's lead to 6-1.

After Chloe Miller hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Van Zeeland, Wisconsin was back at the top of the order with Novak. Novak blasted a single through the left side to bring Jenkins home and make it 7-1.

Sophomore Samantha Arents stepped up to the plate and nearly got out on a foul pop-up, but then lit up the park as she knocked out her third home run of the season far over the left field wall. Arents' dinger put the cap on both teams' scoring as UW finished with a 10-1 victory.

"The whole time we just said to stay the course and I think the team has worked really hard so we said to trust in your preparation. And they did," Healy said. "It was fun to see a lot of people contribute like people off the bench. You've got Brianna Flugaur running hard and being able to beat out plays. You've got Brooke Mann coming off the bench and getting a hit and then Sam Arents coming in with the home run after a missed foul ball. I was just really proud that the whole team chipped in for this one."

Wisconsin's 10 runs in the fourth inning tied the mark for the second-most runs in an inning in program history.

The Spartans would put up two more hits in the bottoms of the fourth and fifth but it wasn't enough as the Badger defense sealed the run-rule win. In the bottom of the fifth inning with one runner and no outs, Van Zeeland, Oswald and Novak turned the perfect double play to clinch the first two outs and a lineout to pitcher Kirsten Stevens finished it off.

The run-rule loss was Michigan State's first of the season.

Stevens picked up her sixth win of the season throwing five inning and allowing five hits and one run. She did not walk any MSU batters and struck out two.

Seven separate Badgers compiled one single hit while Jenkins and Arents led the team with two RBI.

"It was exciting for Kirsten to get her first Big Ten win for the Badgers," Healy added. "I thought she did a nice job because Michigan State is a good hitting team and they definitely pressured her early and were able to score first. But she stayed composed and did a really nice job of just trusting her stuff and digging in."

Wisconsin finishes its conference opener series with a doubleheader against Michigan State on Saturday with first pitch set for noon.