MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin softball team dropped a pair of games to Purdue on Saturday afternoon after winning the first game of the series Friday. UW fell 3-1 in the first game on Saturday before suffering a 4-2 setback in the doubleheader finale. 
 
Game 1
UW (18-21) fell to Purdue (17-26) 3-1 in the first game on Saturday afternoon. The loss was their first to the Boilermakers since April 20, 2018.
 
Purdue struck first with two runs in the third inning. Senior Lauren Foster homered in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the Boilermakers lead to 2-1. The following frame, Purdue added another homerun.
 
Foster tallied a triple in the second inning in addition to her homerun. Ally Miklesh added a single in the bottom of the fifth, but the Badgers were unable to rally back from the two-run deficit.

Abby Herbst started the game in the circle, allowing four hits and two earned runs in three innings of work before Ava Justman came in and pitched the final four innings. Justman allowed only one run off three hits and struck out four Boilermakers. 
 
Game 2
The Badgers got on the board first after Peyton Bannon doubled to left field driving in Morgan Kummer to give UW a 1-0 lead. Purdue struck back in the following inning scoring two runs.
 
In the fifth, Purdue extended their lead to 3-1 off a two-out homerun. In the bottom half of the frame, sophomore Fiona Girardot went deep for her second homerun of the season to put the Wisconsin deficit at 3-2.
 
Freshman Skylar Sirdashney led off the bottom of the sixth with a single for the Badgers and junior Ally Miklesh had a two-out walk. Despite the two runners on base in the inning for UW, the team was unable to score.
 
Purdue added an insurance run in the seventh and Wisconsin could not capitalize in the bottom of the final frame.
 
Maddie Schwartz went the distance for UW, allowing only three earned runs while tallying five strikeouts. 
 
Batting Cleanup:
- A pair of Badgers (Lauren Foster (2), Fiona Girardot (2)) homered on Saturday.
 - Seven Badgers now have multiple homeruns on the season with Megan Donahue leading the team with six.
- The 2020 senior class was recognized before the first game of the doubleheader. They aided the Badgers to three NCAA appearances and finished their careers with 121 wins.
- The 2021 seniors will be honored tomorrow. The class has gone to two NCAA tournaments and are seeking their 105^th win.
 
Up next: UW closes its 2021 campaign on Sunday against Purdue with first pitch at noon.