IOWA CITY, Iowa – Another close game did not go the Wisconsin softball team's way Sunday afternoon as it fell to Iowa, 5-3, at Pearl Field. Iowa (18-17 overall, 4-4 B1G) took all three games of the weekend series.
 
Senior Kelsey Jenkins helped the Badgers (16-16, 2-5) set the tone early, sending the first pitch of the game to the wall in left center for a leadoff double. She advanced to third on a groundout and was joined on the basepath by Taylor Johnson after she was walked. Johnson stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Junior Melanie Cross ripped a single down the left-field line and scored Jenkins and Johnson for a 2-0 Wisconsin lead after the first inning of play.
 
Iowa erased UW's lead in the third when two Hawkeyes hit back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Cross and Johnson teamed up to take back the lead in the fifth inning much like they did in the first. Johnson got on base with a single to left center and stole second to get in scoring position. Cross sent her home with her second single down the left field line of the day.
 
The Hawkeyes cemented their victory in the bottom of the sixth when Schmiederer hit a three-run homer to left field, Iowa's third home run of the day.  
 

Notes to know

• Kelsey Jenkins set a school record with her 32-game reached-base streak.
• Wisconsin outhit Iowa, 9-8.
• Melanie Cross led the team with three RBI and two hits with Taylor Johnson and Sydney Lawson also adding two hits apiece.

 

On deck

The Badgers return home for a non-conference doubleheader with Green Bay on Wednesday beginning at 3 p.m.
 

Appropriate that @kkeellsseeyy10 just set a new school record with a 32-game reached-base streak... with a double... on the first pitch! Congrats KJ! #KJAllDay || #Badgers || #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/0ZfOye8rHM

— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) April 8, 2018