The Wisconsin softball team conquered South Dakota in a double header Wednesday, with three players breaking school records in the 5-1 and 10-2 wins.
Junior outfielder Jennifer Krueger stole her 21st base of the year in the second game against the Coyotes, setting the record at Wisconsin for the most in one season. Senior pitcher Letty Olivarez also tied a Badger record with 17 strikeouts in one game. Keeping the record-breaking going, freshman infielder Molly Spence hit a grand slam in the second game, setting the school record for RBIs in one game with seven.
""I just kept telling myself that I wanted to take each person as a challenge,"" Olivarez said. ""We were working on keeping the ball on the outside like I've been doing and just getting my ball to spin.""
Olivarez also discussed her teammate's offensive achievement.
""[Molly] means a lot. When she gets up there and we have people on base, we're always counting on her, and she takes on a lot of pressure,"" Olivarez said. ""It's just nice to know that she can come through with it.""
Spence, however, said she does not feel the pressure.
""I just go up there and do what I can do,"" Spence said. ""My teammates have my back, and I know that if I struggle one day, they're going to be there to pick me up. I can rely on my teammates a lot.""
Krueger also earned a compliment from Olivarez on her stolen base record.
""It's a really big momentum grabber,"" she said. ""When we get her on in the top of the order, it's really nice to have her moving around the bases. Most teams are nervous when fast runners get on.""
The Badgers started the day off strong with a three-up, three-down inning. Senior infielder Katie Soderberg led off the bottom of the first inning for Wisconsin with a double. A groundout from Krueger advanced Soderberg to second, and Spence reached on a walk. Freshman infielder Shannel Blackshear then homered, making the score 3-0.
""Scoring in the first inning is a big deal for any team, and the fact that we were able to score three runs off my hit just helped even more and gave us the momentum to keep going,"" Blackshear said.
Wisconsin extended its lead over South Dakota in the bottom of the third with back-to-back walks from Spence and Blackshear and a double from freshman designated hitter Whitney Massey, bringing Spence across the plate. A sacrifice fly by sophomore infielder Karla Powell made it 5-0.
The Coyotes battled back in the sixth inning with three singles, but Olivarez shut them down without a run, finishing the game with four consecutive strikeouts.
The Badgers kept hitting in the second game against the Coyotes, giving themselves a commanding lead in the first inning. Soderberg reached first on a single, and Krueger walked. Spence hit a triple, tallying her first two RBIs of the game. A single from Blackshear brought Spence home for a 3-0 lead over the Coyotes.
South Dakota fought back in the second inning with two hits and a walk, narrowing Wisconsin's lead to 3-2.
The Badgers held the Coyotes from there with pitching from freshman Meghan McIntosh and junior Kristyn Hansen.
The bottom of the second brought singles from Krueger and Spence and a double from Blackshear, scoring two runs and widening the Badgers' lead to 5-2.
Wisconsin rallied in the third inning, loading the bases for Spence. Spence hit a grand slam, allowing the Badgers to win 10-2 in five innings.
""We all just came out and wanted to win,"" Blackshear said. ""We all just decided that today we were going to put the ball in play.""
