MADISON, Wis. – With UNI Dome Tournament bragging rights on the line in extra innings, the pressure all came down to Wisconsin's Kelsey Jenkins in the top of the eighth, and the junior delivered.
 
It hadn't been Jenkins' day until that point but the Tucson, Arizona, native's bat came alive at the most crucial time as she knocked out a two-RBI homer that clinched the 4-1 victory for the Wisconsin softball team (4-0) over Drake (4-1).
 
"We showed a lot of fight today," UW head coach Yvette Healy said. "Drake is an outstanding ball club, preseason picked to win a very tough Missouri Valley Conference this year. Anytime you go against a pitcher of the year, all-region pitcher, you know you're in for a fight. Nicole Newman was really outstanding for Drake."
 
"Kelsey Jenkins showed so much leadership and composure at second. She hit the ball hard all weekend and really deserved the payoff home run in the eighth."
 
But the win didn't come easily. All eight innings were a pitching battle, as Drake's Newman tallied 12 strikeouts and Badger freshman Kaitlyn Menz dealt out five.
 
"Kate Menz was so mentally tough on the mound all weekend," Healy said. "She and Chloe Miller played outstanding in front of their hometown Iowa crowds."
 
After three quiet innings from both teams, Chloe Miller led the team's charge with a double which set the tone for a subsequent Sara Novak double that brought Miller in for the 1-0 advantage.
 
But in the sixth inning, Drake's Kailee Smith knocked in an RBI single to center field that scored Kennedy Frank. Neither team could get anything going in the final frame so the game was forced into extra innings.

UW's Melanie Cross was placed at second in the start of the eighth inning and Heather Rudnicki came in to run for her. When Kelly Welsh reached on an error, Rudnicki came in to give UW the 2-1 lead, setting Jenkins up for the exciting finish.
 
Wisconsin has a quick turnaround, traveling to Tampa on Thursday for a two-game series against the University of South Florida at 4 p.m. CT and Binghamton at 6:15 p.m. before participating in the Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational in Clearwater, Florida, next weekend.