CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – On the final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Wisconsin Softball team (8-6) upset the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners (11-3) in a 4-3 win.
The Badgers made their way around the bases in a pivotal top of the second inning where they took to the 4-0 lead.
Taylor Johnson led off with a single, down left field. UW would make it all the way through the batting order after
Taylor Johnson led off with a single down left field. Johnson advanced to second base when
Caroline Hedgcock walked in the next at-bat.
Johnson and Hedgcock would both advance to second and third bases off a sacrifice bunt from
Morgan Kummer.
Alli Clark came into pinch run for Hedgcock and
Jolie Fish to pinch hit for
Jordan Little. Fish brought in the first score of the game when she bunted, and Johnson scored.
On an error from the Oklahoma catcher Fish advanced to third and Clark scored to bring the Badgers to a 2-0 lead. They weren't done yet, however,
Kayla Konwent was walked and eventually stole second base. In addition, Fish stole home plate.
The next two Badgers up to bat,
Fiona Girardot and
Stephanie Lombardo would get walked to make it bases loaded for UW. The final run of the inning came when freshman,
Abby Herbst came into pinch hit for
Lauren Foster, and she was hit by the pitch to advance all runners forward, including Konwent to home plate to give Wisconsin a 4-0 lead.
The Sooners didn't go down without some runs of their own. They put up a fight in the bottom of the third inning scoring three runs and creeping close to the Badgers. Despite batters getting on base for both teams in the innings to come, the defenses shut each other down the rest of the game.
Heather Rudnicki would have the final out of the game when she snatched the ball out of left field to secure the upset win for the Wisconsin softball team over the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners.
In the circle for the entire game for UW was senior,
Kaitlyn Menz. Menz had quite the game against the depth of the Oklahoma hitters, striking out the Sooners twice, and keeping them to only one scoring inning.
On Deck:
Next weekend the Badgers head to Tempe, Arizona, where they will play in the Sun Devil Classic.
