BY KELLI GRASHEL
UW Athletic Communications

MADISON, Wis. — In his famous collection of fables "The Jungle Book," Rudyard Kipling shares the profound idea of the "Law of the Jungle." Notably, one of the poems' most famous lines is "for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."

After opening weekend, this year's Wisconsin softball team echoes Kipling's strong pack of wolves.

Solid pitching heavily relies on the defensive support system in the field and that was evident in every game over the weekend at the UNI-Dome Classic. Any uneasiness about the Badgers' new pitching staff was quickly settled when freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Menz took the mound.

Menz was the star of the show over the weekend behind a great defensive effort from the field. She threw a complete game shutout in her first time donning a Badger uniform and picked up three of the four wins on the weekend.

"Kate Menz was so mentally tough on the mound all weekend," Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy said. "She and Chloe Miller played outstanding in front of their hometown Iowa crowds."

Launching her senior season on a high note, Chloe Miller compiled a .615 batting average and 1.000 slugging percentage with five runs and eight hits, including a home run and two doubles with four RBI. Easily the best opening weekend of her career, she was responsible for the team's bursts of strength in Saturday and Sunday's games.

Miller wasn't the only senior putting up some nice numbers. Sara Novak tallied three RBI off of four hits, including one double. Her .400 batting average was only tied with one other batter — a fresh face to the field: Jordan Little. Little began her Badger career with two runs and two hits, including a double.

Junior standout Kelsey Jenkins was right behind all three of them in slugging percentage (.467) after she delivered the game-winning two-RBI home run against Drake on Sunday night.

"Kelsey Jenkins showed so much leadership and composure at second," Healy added. "She hit the ball hard all weekend and really deserved the payoff home run in the eighth."

The road ahead doesn't get easier as the Badgers have their toughest opponents to date at the Michele Smith Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational. Wisconsin will face 16th-ranked James Madison and 24th-ranked South Florida, fresh from a win against No. 6 Michigan during opening weekend.

As the lineup solidifies and team grows closer, look for many exciting components coming together for the softball squad this year. With a strong freshman pitcher on the mound and a sturdy pack behind her, this team is ready to take on the trying challenges ahead.