IOWA CITY, Iowa – Wisconsin fell to Iowa, 5-2, in the second game of the series after a three-run burst from Iowa in the third inning pushed the Hawkeyes ahead to pick up their second conference win at Bob Pearl Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers (22-17-1, 7-5-1 Big Ten) took no time to warm up the bats, firing off four hits in the top of the first inning alone. Sophomore Kelsey Jenkins led off the game with a powerful double to left field and senior Ashley Van Zeeland immediately followed with an RBI single that gave UW the quick 1-0 lead.

Junior Chloe Miller was the third batter of the lineup and clinched the third hit of the inning with a single to left field that moved Van Zeeland to second. Freshman Melanie Cross laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners up, but Van Zeeland was caught at home in the next at-bat. With sophomore Samantha Arents on from a fielder's choice, freshman Kelly Welsh loaded the bases as she was hit by a pitch.

An RBI single from senior Katie Christner brought in the second run from Chloe Miller and put the Badgers ahead 2-0 after the first half of the first frame.

In turn, Iowa (12-27, 2-11) didn't hesitate to start hitting away in the bottom of the first. The Hawkeyes also led off with back-to-back singles and scored when Holly Hoffman grounded out and plated Claire Fritsch to cut UW's lead 2-1.

The Badgers struggled through the second and third innings, only able to muster up one hit from Jenkins in the top of the second.

"I just don't think we came out sharp and we're not the type of team that can take one pitch off or one at-bat off or any one play off," UW head coach Yvette Healy said. "If you're not focused, Iowa is a great program and they definitely deserved to win this game. They came out sharper and more fired up. We've got to be focused right away."

Iowa went down in order at the hands of Kirsten Stevens in the bottom of the second, but exploded in the bottom of the third inning. A costly throwing error by Jenkins let the leadoff batter, Katy Taylor, reach third and despite the next two batters going down on a groundout and strikeout, Taylor tied the game after Sammi Gyerman brought her in with an RBI single.

Iowa claimed the lead when Hoffman doubled down the left field line and scored Gyerman. After surrendering the 3-2 lead, Wisconsin made a pitching change and brought in senior Taylor-Paige Stewart.

Iowa was able to pull in one more run, however, after Angela Schmiederer's single dropped in right center to plate Hoffman and give the Hawkeyes a 4-2 lead.

The Badgers continued to struggle offensively, as UW went down in order again in the top of the fourth inning.

Just like the third inning, Iowa made more noise in the bottom of the fourth. Stewart walked Mallory Kilian in the leadoff spot, but she scored when Claire Fritsch singled to center field with two outs on the board. Christner came up several feet for another clutch catch in left field to get UW out of the inning.

Senior Macy Oswald led off the fifth inning with an infield single and the outlook wasn't good, as the next two Badger bats lined out and grounded out.

But Miller was hit by the pitch and Cross walked to load up the bases. Wisconsin moved Stewart up the lineup to hit, but a called strike three left three Badger base runners stranded and kept Iowa in the lead, 5-2.

The Badgers forced a quick 1-2-3 inning defensively against the Hawkeyes in the bottom of the fifth inning. Stewart took out Gyerman swinging in the leadoff spot and then Jenkins nearly crashed into the Iowa dugout for the foul fly and second out. Van Zeeland finished off the inning by gloving a grounder from Schmiederer.

For the third time in the game, Wisconsin went down in order in the top of the sixth inning.

Stewart shut down the Hawkeye offense in the bottom of the sixth, clinching her third and fourth strikeouts of the game.

Still, the Badgers couldn't climb out of the hole in the bottom of the seventh, as they left two more runners on the base path.

Both teams accumulated seven hits apiece, but Wisconsin had the game's lone error. Jenkins and Van Zeeland led the Badgers in the hit column, both knocking out two hits each. Fritsch had a team-high two hits for the Hawkeyes.

Stevens took the loss in the game after letting the go-ahead run through in the bottom of the third. Stevens allowed four hits and four runs in 2.2 innings pitched. Stewart gave up three hits and one run in 3.1 innings pitched and struck out four batters while walking one.

Wisconsin returns to action for the series finale against Iowa on Sunday afternoon at Bob Pearl Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.