FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Wisconsin softball team (6-4) earned a walk-off, comeback victory over Seton Hall this Sunday, ending the FGCU Invitational on a victory.

The game was extended to eight innings, after neither team could break a scoreless tie. Alivia Bark played hero for the Badgers, bringing home the winning run with a squeeze bunt.

The Badgers executed a small-ball sequence to score the automatic runner on second. Katie Linkletter put down a successful bunt that allowed Emma King at second to advance to third. Bark then layed down on a bunt on the first pitch she saw in the at-bat, allowing King to score and win the game for Wisconsin.

Kendra Lewis started the game for UW, shutting out Seton Hall through the first three innings . The Pirates broke through in the top of the fourth inning, however, with a solo home run to break the scoreless tie. They later added on another run in the inning with a single.

Wisconsin was hitless up until the bottom of the fourth, where the team not only broke the no-hitter, but broke the shutout as well. Molly Schlosser led off the frame with a double, before Brooke Kuffel swatted a two-run home run to tie up the game.

The game continued to be knotted up at two apiece through the seventh inning, with Gabi Salo and Molly Jacobson each holding Seton Hall scoreless in their relief appearances. 

With Seton Hall threatening with their own automatic runner on second during the top of the eighth, Jacobson forced three groundouts to strand the runner on third. The final out was made off a great play from shortstop Ellie Hubbard, who corralled the ball after it was redirected from Jacobson's glove, and threw out the runner.

Jacobson finished the game with the win, allowing no runs off one hit, and striking out two batters. Lewis in her start pitched 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs off four hits.

Batting Cleanup

• The last time Wisconsin earned a walk-off victory was on 2/25/23, when Skylar Sirdashney layed down a squeeze bunt to beat Villanova, 3-2.
• The Badgers won their first extra-inning game since beating Texas in nine innings on 3/10/23. 
• Molly Schlosser went 1-for-2 with a double. She finished the FGCU Invitational going 5-for-15 with a double and a home run.
• Brooke Kuffel's home run was the first of her season, and the 17th in her career.
• After redshirting last season, junior Rylie Crane collected her first hit since 4/29/23.

 

Up Next:

The Badgers return to Florida for the third time this season, playing at the South Florida Showdown in Tampa. The first game against Louisville begins at 12:30 p.m. (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.