The Badgers softball team is looking to increase their run production this weekend as they take on Purdue in a two-game series this Saturday and Sunday.
The Badgers are coming off a sweep at the hands of Iowa in a doubleheader at Goodman Diamond this past Wednesday, in which the Badgers fell to the Hawkeyes 1-0 and 14-1. The problem in both games for Wisconsin was the lack of offense, so head coach Chandelle Schulte and the team have been working on ways to increase run production.
""The past few games we've only been getting runners on base with two outs, and our first and second hitters aren't getting on enough,"" Schulte said. ""We're trying to hit earlier in the count, and take pitches inside and getting hits with them. If pitchers are going to pitch us inside we need base runners.""
Freshman pitcher Meghan McIntosh and utility player Whitney Massey emphasized the need to ""hit ‘em where they ain't"" as Hall of Famer Willie Keeler would say.
""We did a good job of putting the ball in play,"" McIntosh said. ""We were just hitting it right at them. We need to be able to find the holes on the field and we've been doing drills to improve that.""
""We're trying to go with where the pitch is pitched,"" Massey, who had the only RBI of the Iowa series added. ""If we can do that, I think we will be able to put the ball in the gap instead of hitting it right at players.""
Wisconsin enters this series with a 0-8 record in Big Ten conference play so far this season. The Badgers will be looking to build on certain aspects and improve others in order to break through the win column in conference play, according to McIntosh.
""We need to get on pitchers earlier in the count and make the defensive plays we need to in order to help our pitchers out,"" McIntosh said.
""We have found that a lot of the mistakes we make are little things or mental errors,"" added Massey. ""We've been working on those little things, making the defensive plays, getting more solid contact at the plate so we can hit the ball through, and making the short game better because that's where we've gotten beat.""
Schulte said it was just a matter of the team putting together the good pieces of its game.
""We have to play defense, hit and pitch in the same game,"" Schulte said. ""I can't recall a game where we have been able to do all that. We have to be tougher, we have to be gamers and we need leadership at this point.""
The Badgers will look to put it together and end their losing streak in conference play this weekend against Purdue.
Schulte and her players emphasized the importance of keeping Purdue's speedy lefty slap hitters off base.
""We plan on moving the infield in closer so that they can't bunt their way on base,"" Schulte said. ""We're going to make them earn every single run, which is something we haven't been doing.""
Schulte also talked about the team's preparation for Purdue's screwball pitcher, who they will be facing this weekend.
""We've been working on hitting screwballs in practice,"" she said. ""Our game plan is to sit inside on the screwball, sit through on the outside pitches, like her changeup and make her come out over the middle of the plate and jump on those pitches.""
""We have played some of the best teams in the Big Ten so far this season, so you have to put that into perspective,"" Schulte said. ""We have played the best and if we do what we can versus the teams that haven't produced like those guys, we should be OK.""
