IOWA CITY, Iowa. – The Wisconsin softball team (12-17, 1-2) picked up their first conference victory of the season in a double-header split against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Badgers let up ten runs in a loss to Iowa in game one, but bounced back in game two, shutting out the Hawkeyes 2-0.
GAME ONE:
By the end of the fourth inning in game one, Iowa held a 8-1 lead over the Badgers. With the Hawkeyes managing to put up multiple runs in the first, third, and fourth innings.
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Shelby Jacobson started the game for Wisconsin but faced trouble early on. After loading the bases in the bottom of the first with nobody out, Wisconsin managed to retire the next two batters, but a double to left field cleared the bases for Iowa, giving them a three-run lead.
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In the third inning, back-to-back doubles put across three more runners for Iowa. Jacobson would leave the game in the fourth, giving up an RBI triple after being struck in the leg with a ground ball in the prior at-bat.
Hilary Blomberg replaced her, surrendering the inherited runner on third, but getting out of the inning.
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Blomberg came up big for the Badgers offensively as well. She drove in Wisconsin's first run of the game in the third inning, beating out an infield single that scored
Ava Kuszak. In the fifth inning, after the Badgers scored on a wild pitch, Blomberg came up again to hit a two-run double that cut the deficit to four.
This proved to be the final scoring effort for Wisconsin though. Jacobson re-entered the game in a scoreless bottom of the fifth, but gave up a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth, along with a sacrifice fly. Iowa won the game 10-4.
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Jacobson was charged with the loss, now with a seasonal record of 2-8. The sophomore went 4.2 innings, allowing ten hits and nine earned runs. Blomberg surrendered two hits and a walk in her 1.1 innings.
Batting Cleanup
- In addition to pitching, freshman Hilary Blomberg went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI
- Fiona Girardot went 2-for-3 with a double.
- Ellie Hubbard, who recently made the shift from shortstop to second base, recorded six assists, the highest mark of any Badger this season.
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GAME TWO:
In game two, it was Wisconsin's turn to score in the first inning.
Alivia Bark led off the game with a single, and made her way all around the bases, scoring on an
Emmy Wells bunt to give the Badgers the early lead.
From then on, it was all
Tessa Magnanimo, as the fifth year starter produced seven innings of shutout softball, letting up just four baserunners, and striking out five Hawkeye batters. She is now 5-7 on the season.
After bunting in the first runner of the game,
Emmy Wells gave Wisconsin some breathing room with a solo home run in the fourth inning, that scraped over the center field wall.
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Wisconsin cleaned up their defense after letting up three errors in game one. The Badgers didn't commit a single error, while turning a double play to end the sixth inning.
Iowa had just two runners reach scoring position in the game, and never had more than one base runner at any time.
Batting Cleanup
- This was Magnanimo's fourth shutout of the season, tying her for the most on the team with Gabi Salo. Wisconsin's nine shutouts rank in the top ten in program history.
- Emmy Wells hit her team leading eight home run of the season.
- During the doubleheader, the young trio of Ava Kuszak, Hilary Blomberg, and Alivia Bark combined to go 8-for-19 with three doubles, a triple, 3 RBI, and four runs scored.
Up Next:Â The Badgers play host at Goodman Diamond for the first time this season next week in a three-game series against Nebraska, the first of which starts Friday at 5 PM. The games can be watched on Big Ten Plus. Live stats are available on the Badger softball schedule on uwbadgers.com, and live updates will be given on the @badgersoftball Facebook, X, and Instagram pages. Tickets go on-sale starting one hour prior to the event and are available at the ticket booth located right outside the entrance. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, and $2 for youth (2-17), UW students, and seniors (55+).
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