After being forced to postpone their home-opener due to poor field conditions, the Wisconsin softball team couldn't have asked for weather better than what they got for their rescheduled opening day, Thursday.
Under blue skies, the Badgers (0-2 Big Ten, 16-12 overall) hosted the Loyola Chicago Ramblers (3-0 Horizon League, 12-10) at Goodman Softball Complex.
This wasn't the first time the Badgers took on the Ramblers in their home opener. In 2007, the Badgers defeated the Ramblers 7-6. But in that game, UW's current head coach was in the opposite dugout as the Badgers.
Yvette Healy is in her first year as UW head coach, following a successful career at Loyola where she recorded 131 wins in her eight-year tenure.
Loyola entered play Thursday riding a three game win streak following a series sweep of Youngstown State over the weekend. The Badgers, meanwhile, were coming off a winless weekend series at Penn State.
Sophomore pitcher Meghan McIntosh got the start in the first game for the Badgers.
McIntosh faced a dangerous hitter in senior Jacqueline Grim. The first baseman was named National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Player of the Week in addition to receiving Horizon League Player of the Week honors last week.
Over the weekend, against Youngstown State, she sported a perfect batting average, with two doubles and two home runs. Despite Grim's remarkable numbers, McIntosh didn't sweat when she came to the plate.
""I just worked on hitting my locations,"" McIntosh said. ""We just attacked her.""
McIntosh held Grim to just one hit.
The Badgers struggled early in the game, committing two errors in the first inning that would lead to an eventual two run inning for the Ramblers.
After loading the bases in the first, the Badgers managed to bring one runner across home plate.
In the third, second baseman Bridget Lally homered to deep center for the Rams, putting Loyola up 3-1.
In the bottom half of the third, junior pinch hitter Karla Powell answered with a home run of her own to dead center. Powell now leads the Badgers with seven home runs.
The Ramblers added another run in the fourth, just before the Badger offense heated up. The Badgers' five run inning was capped off by a triple for freshman infielder Stephanie Peace and a two-run homerun for sophomore infielder Shannel Blackshear.
The Badgers jumped to a 7-4 lead and never looked back. Meghan McIntosh completed the game en route to earning her sixth win, 9-4.
Freshman Cassandra Darrah started in the circle for the Badgers in the second game of the double header.
In game two, the Badgers struggled converting in key situations. Despite loading the bases in the first two innings, the Badgers failed to score any runs.
After that, UW was able to create little offensive rhythm.
All four runs for the Ramblers came off home runs. Freshman designated hitter Lauren Zaworksi belted one in the fifth, while senior Jenna Grim brought in three runs off her long ball off the left field in the sixth.
Amanda Najdek relieved Darrah in the seventh, but despite loading the bases she was able to pitch out of the jam, giving the Badgers one last shot. They, however, were unable to come up with anything and suffered a 4-0 loss.
The Badgers will travel to East Lansing this weekend where they face the Michigan State Spartans (0-2, 18-13). The Badgers look to take two games against the Spartans at their new Secchia Stadium.
