MADISON, Wis. – After a double-header sweep of St. Thomas on Tuesday, the Wisconsin softball team (24-15, 6-7) goes back to conference play this Friday with a series against Indiana.
Game one on Friday begins at 4 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday's games both beginning at Noon (CT).
1. THAT'S A LOT OF RUNS – The first game of Wisconsin's double-header against St. Thomas started with a bang. The Badgers hit for the cycle in the very first inning, scoring five runs in the frame. The team followed it up by pushing across six runs in the second inning, and then capping it off with four runs in the third inning. By the end of the first three innings, Wisconsin was up 15-2, which ended up as the final score after five innings. The Badgers matched their season-high of 15 runs, and put up back-to-back five-run innings for the first time since at least 2015.
2. A GRAND COMEBACK – Game two of the double-header was the opposite of game one, as the Badgers trailed 5-0 after the top of the third. That's when Wisconsin began chipping away, with a two-run home run from
Molly Schlosser cutting the deficit in the bottom of the third.
Molly Jacobson held the Tommies to one hit in her relief outing, before the Badgers managed to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth. Senior
Ellie Hubbard delivered the final blow, hitting her first career grand slam to give Wisconsin its first lead of the game. UW held on to win, 6-5.
3. BARK RAKES AT HOME – One of the standout hitters in the double-header was
Alivia Bark, who was nearly perfect on the night. In the two games, Bark went 5-for-6 with four runs scored and two triples. Both of those triples came in game one, making Bark only the third Badger ever to record two triples in one game, and the first since 2011. The sophomore's batting average went up to .354 on the season. In five home games this season, Bark is an absurd 11-for-16.Â
4. HOOSIER REPORT – The Badgers take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, who sport a 27-10 record. In conference play, the Hoosiers are 6-5, most recently sweeping Maryland in a three-game series. IU is one of the league's most formidable hitting teams, leading the conference with a .384 batting average, and a .475 on-base percentage. Taylor Minnick heads that offensive attack, leading the Big Ten in batting average (.495), and collecting a 1.593 OPS. Wisconsin has fared well against them in the past, leading the all-time series 32-20, taking two-of-three games in last season's series.
5. ALUMNAE SERIES – This weekend's series welcomes all Wisconsin softball alumnae to attend, with many former Badger players set to be in attendance over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - including former greats Molly Clark, Kait Menz,
Peyton Bannon, and
Maddie Schwartz. Also appearing over the weekend will be former Badger outfielder Ally Miklesh who played from 2019-22. Miklesh currently serves as an assistant coach for Indiana.
