Sunday, March 31
University Park, PA
11 AM
Wisconsin Badgers
27-5, 0
12
at
3
Penn State
17-17, 0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Wisconsin
9
2
0
1
0
12
12
3
Penn State
0
0
0
3
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3
3
3
Photo by: Tom Lynn
Sunday Fun Day: Badgers sweep the Nittany Lions
March 31, 2019 | Softball
Wisconsin routs Penn State, 12-3, in series finale
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. – The No. 25 Badger bats were no joke on April Fools' Eve, powering 12 runs off of 12 hits on Sunday afternoon to rout Penn State, 12-3, in a run-rule victory and complete the first Big Ten Conference sweep of the season for Wisconsin softball.
It didn't take long for Wisconsin to get going, it didn't even take more than one inning. In the top of the first inning, UW (27-5 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) scored nine runs off of five hits and two PSU (17-17, 2-4) errors. Junior Kayla Konwent led things off with a double to right center, and the lineup would come all the way back around in the first inning, allowing her to get an RBI single. Though two of her four hits in the game came in the first frame, Konwent added an RBI single in the second and a solo homer in the fourth inning to cap off the scoring for Wisconsin.
Small ball got the job done in the first frame with sophomore Lauren Foster and freshman Tyra Turner laying down bunts that continued the scoring for Wisconsin. Scoring opened on a throwing error by Penn State that allowed pinch runner Gabby Scherle touch home plate. Two walks and a fielder's choice loaded the bases up for Konwent, who had her second hit of the frame, bringing in Caroline Hedgcock and Jordan Little to make it a 7-0 ball game. But the sophomores wanted to keep the party going, as Taylor Johnson and Foster had back-to-back hits and capped off the scoring for UW in the first.
Both Turner and her fellow freshman Ally Miklesh used bunt singles to get on the basepath in the top of the second inning and were brought in by sharp singles from Konwent and Johnson to pad an 11-0 lead.
Penn State got in the board in the bottom of the fourth with three runs off of two hits and two Wisconsin errors, but the damage was done as Wisconsin clinched the five-inning run-rule.
Batting Cleanup: 4 Notes to Know:
The Badgers return to Goodman Diamond for their first home Big Ten series of the year, facing Iowa on Friday at 5 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Plenty of fun on this Sunday between @BadgerSoftball and Penn State. pic.twitter.com/m2anC1665M
— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) March 31, 2019
It didn't take long for Wisconsin to get going, it didn't even take more than one inning. In the top of the first inning, UW (27-5 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) scored nine runs off of five hits and two PSU (17-17, 2-4) errors. Junior Kayla Konwent led things off with a double to right center, and the lineup would come all the way back around in the first inning, allowing her to get an RBI single. Though two of her four hits in the game came in the first frame, Konwent added an RBI single in the second and a solo homer in the fourth inning to cap off the scoring for Wisconsin.
Small ball got the job done in the first frame with sophomore Lauren Foster and freshman Tyra Turner laying down bunts that continued the scoring for Wisconsin. Scoring opened on a throwing error by Penn State that allowed pinch runner Gabby Scherle touch home plate. Two walks and a fielder's choice loaded the bases up for Konwent, who had her second hit of the frame, bringing in Caroline Hedgcock and Jordan Little to make it a 7-0 ball game. But the sophomores wanted to keep the party going, as Taylor Johnson and Foster had back-to-back hits and capped off the scoring for UW in the first.
Both Turner and her fellow freshman Ally Miklesh used bunt singles to get on the basepath in the top of the second inning and were brought in by sharp singles from Konwent and Johnson to pad an 11-0 lead.
Penn State got in the board in the bottom of the fourth with three runs off of two hits and two Wisconsin errors, but the damage was done as Wisconsin clinched the five-inning run-rule.
Batting Cleanup: 4 Notes to Know:
- Kayla Konwent's four hits marked a new individual season high for the Badgers.
- Kaitlyn Menz started in the circle and pitched three innings, mowing down seven PSU batters, the second-most strikeouts she's had this season, behind retiring 10 against Texas Southern. Haley Hestekin closed out the game and struck out one in the bottom of the fifth.
- Taylor Johnson and Lauren Foster recorded two RBI each.
- In the last five games, both Kayla Konwent and Taylor Johnson have a .600 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage over .900. Johnson has eight hits, including two doubles and a home run, with nine RBI. Konwent has 12 hits, including five doubles and three homers, along with eight RBI.
The Badgers return to Goodman Diamond for their first home Big Ten series of the year, facing Iowa on Friday at 5 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Menz, Kaitlyn (11-2)
L: Kylee Lingenfelter (7-2)
Batting:
2B: Konwent, Kayla 1 ; Foster, Lauren 1
HR: Konwent, Kayla 1
RBI: Konwent, Kayla 4 ; Johnson, Taylor 2 ; Foster, Lauren 2 ; Turner, Tyra 1 ; Little, Jordan 1 ; Miklesh, Ally 1
SH: Foster, Lauren 1 ; Turner, Tyra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Konwent, Kayla 2 ; Scherle, Gabby 1 ; Johnson, Taylor 1 ; Foster, Lauren 1 ; Fish, Jolie 1 ; Turner, Tyra 2 ; Hedgcock, Caroline 1 ; Little, Jordan 1 ; Miklesh, Ally 2
SB: Scherle, Gabby 1 ; Turner, Tyra 2
Batting:
3B: Delaney Elling 1
RBI: Haley Vallejos 1 ; Ally Kurland 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lilia Crouthamel 1 ; Tori Dubois 1 ; Haley Vallejos 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
lf/rf
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
SS
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
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