Wisconsin Badgers
6-7
University of San Diego
2-9
Wisconsin beats San Diego, but falls to No. 1 Oklahoma
February 24, 2024 | Softball
Badgers now 2-2 in Mary Nutter Classic
GAME ONE
Wisconsin's first game came against San Diego, who the Badgers were 4-2 all-time against coming into this game.
The Badgers controlled the game through its entirety. After a one-two-three inning from starter Gabi Salo in the first inning, catcher Emmy Wells drove in the game's first run with a solo blast in the second.
🔼2nd | Emmy Bomb Alert 🚨🚨🚨@emmy_wells1 hits her fourth home run of the year, and now has a team best 12 RBI! Badgers score first!
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) February 24, 2024
WIS 1 | SD 0@FloSoftball | https://t.co/vUVCJRMDVA pic.twitter.com/HGCrqCgY5v
After Well's home run, the Badgers acquired the rest of their runs via small ball. Throughout the game, Wisconsin worked deep into counts, and put the ball in play, striking out just twice. The Badgers also stole five bases and scored twice off bunts with runners on third.
Altogether, the Badgers put up eight total runs, with their highest scoring frame occurring in the fifth inning where they plated three runs. Skylar Sirdashney led the team with two RBI, while Hilary Blomberg's RBI double in the sixth put the Badgers up eight, allowing for the run-rule to take place.
Gabi Salo ensured that Wisconsin would not relinquish their lead, going the full six innings and allowing no runs. Salo did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, a groundball that just escaped the infield.
Salo did not walk any batters, allowed just two hits, and struck out seven.
Salo improved her record to 4-1, the most wins on the team.
Batting Cleanup
- Emmy Well's homer was her fourth of the season. She now leads the team with twelve RBI.
- Wisconsin has now homered in twelve consecutive games, their longest streak since 2015.
- The Badger's five stolen bases tie their best mark of the season. They previously swiped five bases against Boise State on 2/10/24.
- This was Gabi Salo's second straight complete game. In her last two games she has 13.0 IP, five hits allowed, and two earned runs scored against her.
GAME TWO
The Badgers then took on No. 1 Oklahoma, who came into tonight's game with a 63-game winning streak.
Starter Shelby Jacobson retired the first four batters of the game with ease, but fell victim to a couple of two-out hits in the second inning that gave the Sooner's the first lead of the game at 2-0.
Wisconsin would strike back the next frame. With Ava Kuszak's double putting runners on second and third with nobody gone. Alivia Bark grounded in the first run for Wisconsin, but the Badgers were unable to score again after a pick-off.
After another clean inning from Jacobson, Wisconsin tied the game up in the fourth when Hilary Blomberg drove in a runner from second with a long single.
🔼4th | HILARY EVENS THE GAME 🙌@BlombergHilary drives in the runner with the single, and this one is tied at 2!
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) February 24, 2024
WIS 2 | OU 2@FloSoftball | https://t.co/vUVCJRMDVA pic.twitter.com/h594ZANX4v
The game fell apart for the Badgers in the fourth inning however when the Sooners put across eight in the inning. Two errors, and other miscues in the field, including a stolen base path obstruction, saw Jacobson exit the game with Tessa Magnanimo taking her place. The pitching staff's luck did not turn as a couple of walks, and a few hits plated five more runs for Oklahoma.
Wisconsin was unable to score in the fifth, ending the game at 10-2 in five innings.
Batting Cleanup
- Ava Kuszak went 1-for-3 with an RBI double. The sophomore is 4-for-9 in her last three games with a home run and a double.
- Fiona Girardot drew two walks against Oklahoma. Girardot has 5 walks in her last four games and leads the team in on-base percentage at .484.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Salo , Gabi (4-1)
L: Rose, Courtney (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Blomberg, Hilary 1
HR: Wells, Emmy 1
RBI: Bark, Alivia 1 ; Wells, Emmy 1 ; Blomberg, Hilary 1 ; Lucey, Danielle 1 ; Sirdashney, Skylar 2 ; Bojan, Emily 1
SH: Miller, Paige 1
SF: Sirdashney, Skylar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linkletter, Kate 1 ; Echevarria, Eden 1 ; Wells, Emmy 1 ; Miller, Paige 1 ; Lucey, Danielle 1 ; Kuszak, Ava 1 ; Mitchell, Bree 1 ; Nevin, Marytherese 1
SB: Lucey, Danielle 1 ; Kuszak, Ava 1 ; Sirdashney, Skylar 1 ; Mitchell, Bree 1 ; Nevin, Marytherese 1
HBP: Kuffel, Brooke 1 ; Linkletter, Kate 1 ; Lucey, Danielle 1 ; Sirdashney, Skylar 1
Base Running:
HBP: Johnson, Taylor 1
