Badgers lose series to Rutgers in final game

Sunday, April 7

Piscataway, NJ

12 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

13-22, 2-7

Rutgers University

23-16, 5-4

Wisconsin

Rutgers

Photo by: Ashley Steltenpohl

Badgers lose series to Rutgers in final game

April 07, 2024 | Softball

Box Score

Wisconsin's bats stifled in 4-1 loss

By: Jake Ross

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Wisconsin softball team (13-22, 2-7) dropped the rubber match to Rutgers in their three-game series. Rutgers clubbed two homeruns against Tessa Magnanimo, while the Badgers struggled offensively, with just two hits, and striking out ten times at the plate.

How It Happened:

The Scarlet Knights jumped on starter Tessa Magnanimo early in the game, leading off with a triple, and scoring on an RBI single in the next at-bat.

The big inning for the game was the third. The Big Ten's leader in home runs, Morgan Smith, hit a two-run shot before Rutgers hit another home run in the next at-bat to go back-to-back. It put Rutgers up 4-0.

The Badgers went nine up and nine down through the first three innings of the game. They finally broke through in the fourth inning, when Skylar Sirdashney stepped up to the plate to lead off, and blasted a home run to dead-center field.

🔼4th | SKY BOMB!@skydash02 gets the badgers on the board, leading off the fourth with a solo shot!

WIS 1 | RUT 4 pic.twitter.com/EPEVVZcQwB
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) April 7, 2024

Magnanimo limited damage from there on, she escaped a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning, and retired the side in order in the sixth inning.

During the fifth, Rutgers once again threatened to score, singling with two outs, but left fielder Alivia Bark fielding the ball and threw a dart to home plate, nabbing the runner, and ending the inning with no runs allowed.

🔼5th | Check out the arm on Bark 💪@Aliviabark nabs the runner at home plate, and keeps it a three-run game!

WIS 1 | RUT 4 pic.twitter.com/xLQpzzlfMa
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) April 7, 2024

However, the Badgers were unable to score any more. An Ellie Hubbard single in the sixth inning once the only source of offense after Sirdashney's home run. The Badgers as a team struck out 10 times against Rutger's Mattie Boyd, the most in any seven-inning game for them this season.

Magnanimo, 6-10, pitched six innings, giving up seven hits, four earned runs, and striking out six. As a pitching staff, the Badgers gave up five home runs to Rutgers during the last two games of the series.

Batting Cleanup

Skylar Sirdasheny went 1-for-2 with a solo home run. It was the seniors first home run of the season, and her first since 3/24/23. It was her second career home run against the Scarlet Knights, and she is now 7-for-13 in her career against them.
Tessa Magnanimo reached 6+ strikeouts for the fourth time this season. She leads the badgers staff with 72 strikeouts.

Up Next: The Badgers travel back home for a series against Ohio State, with the first of three being played on Friday, April. 12. The games will be streamed 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 page.