For the UW softball team (17-27 overall, 6-12 Big Ten) this weekend's home conference series was when it all started coming together.
After a disappointing 7-0 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions (26-19, 7-7) Friday evening, the Badgers were able to bounce back Saturday to overtake the Lions 4-2 and earn their first home victory of the season.
\I felt the kids were a little more focused and ready to play."" Head Coach Karen Gallagher said.
UW, who had been struggling at the plate, jumped on Penn State early, getting three runs in the first inning with the help of three Nittany Lion errors. The Badgers tacked on one more run in the third with an RBI double off the bat of junior left-fielder Diana Consolmagno.
""Today their pitcher was bringing it and we just waited back,"" senior centerfielder Erin Barnharst said. ""We got the hits when we needed it.""
Riding high on Saturday's win, the Badgers returned to the Goodman Softball Complex Sunday to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (23-22, 4-10) in a double-header.
Once again the Badgers struck first as junior first baseman Meghann Reiss, drilled a ball to left-center in the second inning for her first home run of the year. Sophomore shortstop Kris Zacher added to the assault with a two-run double in the same inning.
Erroneous defense almost cost the Badgers the game, as they gave up three unearned runs in the fourth and one earned in the sixth. However, a timely double by sophomore designated player Anastasia Miller drove in Barnharst to send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, Reiss led off with a double to right field and came in to score the winning run on another Zacher RBI for a 5-4 UW victory.
In the nightcap, it was nothing but UW softball as the Badgers beat the Buckeyes 6-0.
Sophomore pitcher Katie Layne dominated on the mound for UW, allowing no runs and no walks while striking out five.
Huge offensive production continued for Wisconsin, as both Miller and Consolmagno went deep off of Ohio State's senior pitcher, Katie Chain.
For the Badgers, this weekend's performances signaled how they wished the entire season would have gone.
""It feels really great to come out and beat two really good teams,"" Layne said. ""And we know that even though the season isn't going the way we want it to, we can do it.\
