CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-Madison softball team fell to the No. 12 Fighting Illini in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, losing 8-4. 

The Badgers utilized the momentum they had obtained following the recent series sweep to close out the regular season and scored first on a Kayla Konwent double. Katie Keller had been walked in the first Wisconsin at-bat and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Konwent then took advantage of the Badger in scoring position and plated her with the double to right center.

Things kept on rolling for the visiting team as Molly Schlosser homered to center field to start the bottom of the second inning. With that, Wisconsin held an early 2-0 lead. 

That lead lasted just momentarily though as the Fighting Illini put themselves in a position to bounce back. The host team put two runners on with a single and a drawn walk and capitalized with a sacrifice fly to center field and an RBI single to tie the game up at two's. With another walk and another single, Illinois loaded the bases for pinch hitter, Danielle Davis. Davis fired up the crowd and her team with a grand slam to bring all runners home for Illinois and give the opponent a 6-2 advantage.

Long balls seemed to be the story of tonight as Christaana Angelopulos responded back for the Badgers with a shot of her own over the center field wall to give Wisconsin a needed run. 

However, a fielding error, a walk and a single loaded the bases once again for Illinois, and Danielle Davis made the most of her opportunity for the second time with a RBI ground out to Wisconsin's shortstop to put her team up by five. 

Kayla Konwent was due up next for the Badgers and got her second hit of the day on a single up the middle to start the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Brooke Kuffel then drew a walk to put two runners on for Wisconsin and Ellie Hubbard made it count as the shortstop hit a double of her own to score Kayla Konwent and give Wisconsin its fourth run of the day.

Illinois could not be stopped on offense and hit three singles in the top of the sixth, one of those being an RBI, and the score became 8-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Peyton Bannon was the only other Badger to record a hit in the final two frames as the team was unable to produce enough runs to take back the lead. Wisconsin lost with two runners on in the seventh inning with a final score of 8-4.

With this loss, the Badgers season comes to a close. The team finished with a 28-20 overall record, and 12-10 finish in conference play. One of those wins came against No. 12 Alabama at the Bevo Classic with a score of 7-6 on March 12. Two Badgers, Katie Keller and Maddie Schwartz, were both recognized for their stellar performance this spring and were both named to the All-Big Ten First Team.