This past weekend, the Wisconsin softball team traveled to Champaign, Ill., for a two-game series with the No. 18 Fighting Illini.
The Badgers struggled on offense in Saturday's game, falling to Illinois 6-0 before rain forced the second game of the series on Sunday to be cancelled.
The Illini struck early Saturday. In the bottom of the first inning Illinois sophomore infielder Meredith Hackett delivered a two-run home run to left-center field off Badger senior pitcher Letty Olivarez, giving the Illini a quick 2-0 lead that they would not look back from.
The Illini lead would increase to 6-0 after two innings with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. Olivarez struck out the first two Illinois batters in the inning before allowing a single to Illinois' sophomore infielder Danielle Vaji. That hit was followed by an Olivarez throwing error, allowing Vaji to score and putting a runner on second base.
The Illini kept the inning alive on a double to left field from senior outfielder Hope Howell, scoring the runner on second. After that, Hackett again delivered a two-run home run for Illinois to increase the lead to 6-0.
Wisconsin freshman Meghan McIntosh relieved Olivarez after Hackett's second home run and managed to keep the Badgers within six. After taking over with two outs in the second McIntosh allowed only two hits and no runs, walking just two over the final 4 1/3 innings.
However, the Badgers' offense never got anything going off Illinois sophomore pitcher Monica Perry.
Perry allowed only four Badgers to reach base through the first five innings, all via either a walk or hit by pitch before junior outfielder Jennifer Krueger broke through with the Badgers first hit on a bunt single in the top of the sixth. Perry went the distance in the victory, striking out eight Badgers and only allowing the one hit on the day.
Rain in the Champaign area initially pushed back the series' second contest to a later start before the game was eventually cancelled. This was the sixth contest this season that has been cancelled for the Badgers.
Up next, the Badgers return home to Goodman Diamond this Wednesday for a nonconference doubleheader against North Dakota. The Badgers will then face Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., Thursday before returning to Big Ten play this Saturday against Indiana.
—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
