TUCSON, Ariz. – Despite outhitting San Diego 10-7, the Wisconsin softball team dropped a 7-4 decision to the Toreros Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Wildcat Invitational. The Badgers finished 2-3 on the weekend and are 13-11 heading into conference play.
 
San Diego got on the board with a run in the first inning but a Samantha Arents homer in the second inning tied the game at one run apiece.
 
UW took the lead in the third inning off of a Melanie Cross RBI single. Kelsey Jenkins reached base on a double to left field and advanced to third when Gabby Scherle laid down a beautiful bunt to the pitcher. Cross singled to left field and scored Jenkins, giving Wisconsin a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Badgers extended their lead in the fourth inning. Heather Rudnicki singled to the pitcher and stole second with Kelly Welsh up to bat. Welsh hit a double down the left-field line to send Rudnicki home. After a San Diego pitching change, Jenkins reached on a walk putting runners on first and second with two outs. Freshman Reilly Peters came in to pinch hit and cracked a single up the middle to score Welsh. UW led 4-1 heading into the fifth inning.
 
Things did not go Wisconsin's way after that. The Toreros regained the lead thanks to a four-run fifth inning, including a two-RBI home run from Hannah Gilliland. Then San Diego added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning to hand UW its third loss of the weekend.
 

Notes to know

• Arents hit her third home run of the year and the eighth of her career in the second inning.
• Jenkins and Taylor Johnson each notched two hits against San Diego to finish the tournament with seven hits apiece. 
• The Badgers left eight runners on base while the Toreros stranded six runners.

 

On deck

The Badgers have a week off before opening up Big Ten play at home against Rutgers March 23-25.
 

WHAM. BAM. THANK YA SAM.

Solo homer and we're tied up 1-1 pic.twitter.com/U864Flfvhk

— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) March 11, 2018