Badgers reach Tournament semi-final after 7-3 win

Thursday, May 9

Iowa City, IA

7 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

21-30

Rutgers University

33-22

Wisconsin

Rutgers

Badgers advance to Big Ten semi final 5/9/24

Photo by: Ashley Steltenpohl

Badgers reach Tournament semi-final after 7-3 win

May 09, 2024 | Softball

Box Score

First semi-final appearance for Wisconsin since 2019

By: Jake Ross

IOWA CITY, Iowa. – The Wisconsin softball team (21-30, 8-15) advanced to the Big Ten Semifinal game for the first time since 2019 after defeating No. 3 Rutgers 7-3. Wisconsin's Hilary Blomberg provided a record 5-RBI to support Tessa Magnanimio's complete game. The Badgers become the first No. 11 seed to make it to a semifinal game and will take on No. 2 Michigan tomorrow at 6:30 PM CT.

How it Happened:

Wisconsin's offense struck early in the game. A Fiona Girardot walk, followed by a Danielle Lucey steal of second, set up freshman Hilary Blomberg in the top of the first. Blomberg singled up the middle to score Lucey, giving the Badgers the first lead of the game.

Scoring halted from there, with starter Tessa Magnanimo dueling Rutger's Mattie Boyd for four innings. Magnanimo was coming off a complete game one-run performance in yesterday's game, but finally faltered during the bottom of the fourth inning. Rutgers knocked a lead off triple to begin the frame, allowing a groundout to score the runner during the next at-bat.

The game did not remain tied for long. Alivia Bark and Skylar Sirdashney worked themselves on base to begin the top of the fifth. The Badgers then capitalized on a couple of Scarlet Knight errors. The first allowed Ava Kuszak to reach base, with Hubbard's pinch runner, Paige Miller, scoring on the play. Kuszak then attempted to steal second base, the catcher's throw escaped into center field, allowing Sirdashney to score. The inning capped off with Blomberg launching a two-run home run, her second straight game with a long ball. The Badgers finished the inning up 5-1.

🔼5th | BLOMBERG DOES IT AGAIN!!!@BlombergHilary goes yard to put the Badgers up four! Her second home run of the tournament!

WIS 5 | RUT 1 pic.twitter.com/t3cb9XFOve
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) May 10, 2024

Two errors in the bottom of the frame allowed Rutgers to get one of those runs back. But Blomberg padded the lead for Wisconsin once again in the seventh inning, singling up the middle for her third hit of the game, and collecting her fourth and fifth RBI. Rutgers began to rally in the bottom of the seventh, allowing a no-out sac fly to make it 7-3, but no more runs came out of the inning with Magnanimo closing the door on the game.

Magnanimo pitched all 7.0 innings for the second straight game. She allowed eight hits, and just two earned runs to pick up her second straight win. Her record now stands at 12-15.

Magnanimo worked out of several jams in the game, despite the Badgers committing four errors in the game. The bottom of the fifth saw runners on second and third with just one out, before Magnanimo struck out the next batter, and coaxed a pop out to get out of the inning. The bases were loaded in the sixth inning with one out, this time a line out and a pitcher fielded groundout allowing for the inning to end.

Batting Cleanup

Hilary Blomberg went 3-for-4 with a home run and 5 RBI. She broke Stefanni LaJeunesse's Badger record for RBI in a tournament game set in 2013. She also joins Taylor Johnson as the only Badger to hit two home runs during the tournament. The freshman also extends her hit streak to 10 games.
Skylar Sirdashney went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. The senior is now 4-for-9 in her last three games.
Tessa Magnanimo pitched her 14^th complete game of the season. She's allowed just three earned runs in her last 14.0 innings pitched.

Up Next: The Badgers will face No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten Conference Tournament Semi Finals. The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network at 6:30 PM CT. 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.