BALTIMORE, Md. – The Wisconsin softball team (9-14) dropped their first two games of the UMBC Spring Invite. The Badgers were first shutout by UAlbany in a 2-0 loss, before falling to UMBC in acloss 4-3 loss.
GAME ONE
Facing UAlbany for the third time in program history, Wisconsin was unable to get anything going offensively throughout the game. This was despite Wisconsin striking out just twice, with five total runners left on base for the game.
Neither team scored through the first two innings of play, even with an
Emily Bojan double in the second that turned out to be the lone extra base hit in the game. The Badgers totaled just three hits throughout the game.
The Great Danes got on the board in the third inning, when an RBI single brought home a runner who had reached via walk. The one other run in the game came in the same manner during the seventh inning, adding an insurance run for UAlbany to make the score 2-0.
Shelby Jacobson started the game for the Badgers, going the full game besides the final out, for which
Tessa Magnanimo came into relief. Jacobson went 6.2 innings, with three hits, four walks, and two earned runs. Her record on the season fell to 1-7.
The Badgers put up a strong defensive showing, despite an inconsequential throwing error in the seventh. Wisconsin turned a double-play, threw out a baserunner, and cut down a runner attempting to stretch a single into a double.
Batting Cleanup
- Shelby Jacobson's six strikeouts on the day are a career high. The sophomore put up four-strikeout performances earlier this year against St. Thomas and Oklahoma State.
- Emily Bojan went 2-for-3 with a double.
- Hilary Blomberg extended her hitting streak to 10 games, going 1-for-3 at the plate in the loss.
- Wisconsin's four hits allowed are the least amount of hits the team has allowed in a loss this season.
GAME TWO
Wisconsin's second game came against UMBC, the first matchup between the teams.
Much like the last game, neither team scored until the third inning. This time it was Wisconsin getting on the board in a big way, with freshman
Eden Echevarria hitting her first career home run to put Wisconsin up 1-0.
UMBC took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning against starter
Tessa Magnanimo. An error and a single setup a two-run double that put the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers up in the game. Another runner would then reach by error, allowing a sac fly to score another run, putting UMBC up 3-1.
Wisconsin evened things up in the next frame however. The Badgers led off the inning with two straight singles. A couple of batters later,
Fiona Girardot came up in a two-out, pinch-hit opportunity. The fifth year doubled to left field, scoring both runs and making the game 3-3.
The deciding blow came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when an error allowed a UMBC base runner to reach third. The runner then scored in the next at-bat, on an RBI single. Wisconsin was unable to tie the game in the seventh.
Tessa Magnanimo started the game, and pitched all six innings. Only one of her four runs allowed was earned, allowing six hits and striking out seven. Her record drops to 3-5.
Batting Cleanup
- Tessa Magnanimo's seven strikeouts tie her season-high, previously reaching that total against Missouri.
- In addition to hitting her first career home run, Eden Echevarria also earned her first multi-hit game. The freshman went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored.
- Fiona Girardot went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI.
- Hilary Blomberg's impressive hitting streak ended at ten games.
Up Next: The Badgers stay on The Diamond at UMBC to play another game tomorrow at 9 AM CT against Colgate, followed up a rematch against UAlbany at 11:30 AM CT. Live stats for every game are available on the Badger softball schedule on uwbadgers.com, and live updates will be given on the @badgersoftball Facebook, X, and Instagram pages.
