LINCOLN, Neb. – After nearly a three and a half hour, extra inning loss Friday evening, the Wisconsin softball team bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Nebraska on Saturday from Bowlin Stadium.
 
It was a pitching duel between UW's (23-15, 8-6) Paytn Monticelli and Nebraska's (31-14, 11-5) Sarah Harness for the first three innings. Each team had runners in scoring position in the first two innings, but both teams were left unscathed.
 
The Cornhuskers tallied the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Nebraska single down the left field line and a couple of miscues by the Badger defense.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Wisconsin's Skylar Sirdashney started the rally with a single to second base. Katie Keller then doubled off the right center field wall, scoring Sirdashney all the way from first, knotting the game up at one a piece.
 
The back and forth continued as Nebraska then responded with two runs of their own, thanks to a walk, single and triple to plate two runs for the Cornhuskers and a 3-1 advantage.
 
In Wisconsin's last chance at-bats, the Badgers refused to go down without a fight. Kate Linkletter started off the inning with her first double of the season, and eventually advanced to third after a Sirdashney single to right field. With runners at the corners, all it took was one swing of the bat from Katie Keller to even the score at three. In the first pitch of her at-bat, Keller hit a hard ground ball up the middle, past the second basemen, and into the outfield. Linkletter easily scored from third, while Sirdashney forced a throw to third and touched home after a throwing error by Nebraska.
 
With Keller on third and nobody out, Wisconsin's season leader in RBIs, Kayla Konwent tallied her 29^th of the season after chopping a ball up the middle, scoring Keller for the go-a-head run. Wisconsin would earn a couple additional baserunners thanks to a couple walks, but Nebraska prevented any further damage and ended the inning on a fielder's choice. The damage had been done, however, with Wisconsin up 4-3 going into the bottom of the seventh.
 
It took fifth year Maddie Schwartz just nine pitches to shut down the Cornhuskers and secure the Badger victory. Schwartz sat down Nebraska in order with a strikeout, pop up, and ground out, and earned her third save of the season.
 
Batting Cleanup

• Katie Keller, Ellie Hubbard, and Skylar Sirdashney had two hits each in the game.
• Paytn Monticelli picked up her sixth win of the season, improving to 6-2. She pitched six innings, giving up three runs and two earned.
• The Badgers forced five walks in the game and now have a total of 123 walks in the season compared to just the 50 that they've given up as a staff.

 
Next Up: In a winner take all, the Badgers and Cornhuskers will finish the series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT at Bowlin Stadium.