Badgers rally past Buffalo, fall short versus Louisville

Saturday, February 21

Fort Myers, FL

9:00 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

10-3

Buffalo

3-10

Wisconsin

Buffalo

Makenzie Foster and Berritt Herr meet in the circle versus Louisville.

Photo by: Ashley Steltenpohl

Badgers rally past Buffalo, fall short versus Louisville

February 21, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

UW splits doubleheader, wins weekend in Florida

By: Maddox Durst

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Wisconsin softball team split a pair of games on Saturday, defeating Buffalo in comeback fashion before falling short against Louisville.

UW (10-3) scored seven unanswered runs in a victory over the Bulls, highlighted by a trio of home runs from junior Makenzie Foster, senior Emily Bojan and redshirt freshman Jaclyn Showalter.

GAME ONE

The Badgers stormed back in their first game of the day, taking down Buffalo with the help of a large offensive output throughout the final three innings of the match.

UW wasted no time on the offensive end in the first, as junior Hilary Blomberg barreled a double to the outfield to plate senior Emily Bojan after her leadoff walk.

The bats went silent throughout the middle portion of the battle, as the Bulls took advantage and plated three runs between the second and third inning. The Badgers got themselves out of a couple of jams with the help of their defense, twirling a pair of double plays in the game.

Sophomore Kendra Lewis floated a sacrifice fly to the outfield to cut the deficit to 2-3 in the fifth.

Senior Shelby Jacobson and freshman Berritt Herr limited the Buffalo offense during the final stretch of the game, as Jacobson tallied her fourth win of the year and Herr got her second save. Jacobson's fourth win of the season ties her career-best for most victories in a single season.

The Badgers capitalized immediately, plating three runs in both the sixth and seventh frame to pull away with a win. In the sixth, junior Danielle Lucey and freshman Claire Calmes each accumulated an RBI via a sacrifice to put Wisconsin in the lead, as junior Makenzie Foster capped off the inning with her first home run of the season to make it 5-3.

It was more of the same in the seventh for UW, as Bojan and redshirt freshman Jaclyn Showalter continued to enjoy their power surge at the plate, each barreling a homer to extend the advantage to 8-3. At the Gulf Coast Classic, each player has two home runs from the top of the lineup.

Herr closed the final inning with ease, retiring Buffalo in order to secure Wisconsin's seventh consecutive victory.

Batting Cleanup:

Emily Bojan went 2-for-3 with her second home run in as many days, as she currently has four on the year.
Jaclyn Showalter launched a two-run home run in the seventh, marking her fourth of the season.
Makenzie Foster continued to produce at the plate, tallying her first multi-hit game of the year in a 3-for-3 showing. Saturday's performance marked Foster's first three-hit game as a Badger.
Alivia Bark earned her fourth multi-hit game of the year, turning in a 2-for-4 performance.
Hilary Blomberg finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Wisconsin racked up five extra base hits as a unit, their highest total in a single game this season.
Shelby Jacobson improved to 4-0 in the circle this season. The senior matched a career-best in wins in a single season, as she also had four in 2024.
Berritt Herr notched the second save of her collegiate career.

GAME TWO

The Badgers once again got off to a quick start, posting three runs in the first inning to take an early lead. Junior Danielle Lucey delivered with a bases-clearing triple, her second of the season to put UW up 3-0. Lucey finished the day with a 4-for-4 showing, which marks her first four-hit game of her collegiate career.

Louisville would not be denied at the dish, racking up 14 hits over seven innings of play. The Cardinals turned in a crooked number in the scoring column in two separate innings, including a four-run fifth inning that allowed them to extend their advantage to 8-3.

Wisconsin put together a quick two-run rally in the fifth inning, as junior Hilary Blomberg concluded the frame with an RBI single to drive in freshman Claire Calmes.

After cutting the deficit to four, Louisville responded with one more run in the seventh, as they finished the day with nine extra base hits—including six doubles to snap UW's longest winning streak since the 2023 season.

Batting Cleanup:

Danielle Lucey posted the first four-hit game of her career, finishing 4-for-4 with three RBIs, a double and a triple. Lucey has now accumulated three RBIs in two games this year.
Hilary Blomberg provided a quality showing, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Emily Bojan extended her on-base streak to 12 games after finishing 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Up Next: The Badgers will wrap up their time at the Gulf Coast Classic tomorrow morning, as they are set to rematch against UConn at 10:30 a.m. CT. Fans can follow along with live stats located on uwbadgers.com.