It is not often that two players on the same team in the same season chase an all-time record. When it does occur, however, it is guaranteed to be an exciting time for fans and players alike. Like Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle pursued the single-season home run record together in 1961, UW softball catcher Boo Gillette and shortstop Kris Zacher, both seniors, are making their run at a prestigious record. Both teammates are tied for the UW all-time home run record while the Badgers have just started their Big Ten season. Clearly the record chase is good news for UW fans, but after this weekend the softball team has even more good news for Badger faithful. After four Big Ten games, the Badgers are 3-1 in Big Ten play and are 12-12 overall.
The first two games of the weekend were Friday and Saturday against the Buckeyes of Ohio State. The game pitted two of the best offenses in the Big Ten against each other, but it was the pitchers who controlled the game. Ohio State managed to touch up sophomore hurler Eden Brock (8-4) in the first inning for three hits and one run, but she settled down and struck out five consecutive batters later in the game. The Badgers answered right back when a hard single from Gillette who was 2-3 on the day, plated sophomore outfielder Sam Polito who reached base on a hit-by-pitch.
Zacher played the role of hero in the bottom of the sixth when she knocked a long ball, which turned out to be the game winner. In game two of the Buckeye series the highly touted offenses did their jobs. In a 9-7 slugfest, the Badgers were able to complete the sweep of the Buckeyes. Zacher had three hits and scored three times in an amazing day at the plate. The Badgers struggled on defense, as they have tended to do, allowing an unearned run in the third inning.
In the final day of games at UW's Goodman Diamond the Badgers were scheduled for a double header against Penn State. The first game saw late game heroics by Badgers, as Wisconsin clawed to a 6-5 victory over the Nittany Lions. UW senior left-fielder Anastasia Miller hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Badgers the wild victory.
UW was plagued again by falling behind early, as the Nittany Lions built a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Miller made it 4-3 with an RBI double to right. Penn State added a run in the top of the seventh on Nittany Lion freshman first baseman Ashley Esparza's lead-off solo home run. But it was the Badgers who would have the last laugh, ripping three straight singles to start the seventh inning and their most recent comeback. Wisconsin scored three runs to end the game, with the first walking in. Then Miller ended the game by driving in freshman infielder Katie Hnatyk and Zacher.
The Badgers did not fare as well in the second game of the pair as they fell behind early yet again when Penn State knocked around UW sophomore starter Megan Smith for four hits in the first inning and the Badgers committed another error in the field. Penn State continued to run up the score on UW, finishing with a 7-1 victory.
Errors have somewhat haunted this team in what has otherwise been a very successful opening weekend of conference play. Gillette connected for another home run, her sixth of the season, which was also the 23rd home run for the team, tying the all-time single season team record set in 2003.
Wisconsin returns to action Wednesday evening, when they travel to the University of Illinois-Chicago to take on the Flames.
