Box Score GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Wisconsin softball team dropped a 2-1 game to Georgia Tech in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional at the 2022 NCAA Softball Tournament on Friday.

After giving up a run in both the second and third innings, the Badgers closed the gap and posted a run of their own in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 2-1 game. Ellie Hubbard and Skylar Sirdashney started the inning with hits before Lauren Foster looped the ball into left to score Hubbard.

UW came close to taking the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Sirdashney launched a deep ball into left field, but Georgia Tech's left fielder made a catch at the wall to negate the threat.

Up Next
The Badgers will resume NCAA tournament play in Gainesville with a matchup against  Canisius in an elimination game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Batting Cleanup
- All three of Wisconsin's hits came in the fourth inning. 
- Friday marked UW's ninth NCAA appearance and its first since 2019.
- Maddie Schwartz pitched six innings, allowing six hits and one earned run on 95 pitches.
- UW suffered its first-ever loss to Georgia Tech, as the Badgers had won the previous three games in the all-time series.

Straight from the Diamond
Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy
On the game:
"I'm really proud of our crew. I thought Maddie Schwartz threw a heck of a game, and she kept us in it. That's a really good offense from Georgia Tech. I'm proud to see Maddie do that. We made some nice defensive plays, but it came down to inches. It's great to be back in the NCAA tournament and we were really excited to be out here."

Senior shortstop Lauren Foster
On the game:
"I think this team has a lot of fight. We didn't show it a lot today, but we are going to get after it tomorrow and come back with that fight because that is what we've been doing all year. We are going to get some rest and get back at."