The Wisconsin softball team will look to increase its chances of earning an NCAA tournament bid when it plays host to Illinois this weekend in a pair of games at Goodman Diamond.
The wins will be tough to get against llinois (6-4 Big Ten, 19-17 overall) a team that sports a winning record in conference play.
But fresh off a key conference victory over Minnesota Wednesday, junior designated hitter Karla Powell said her team is looking forward to the challenge.
""We're really excited to play them this weekend,"" Powell said. ""We're hoping to grab two wins but even a split would be nice.""
If the Badgers (3-7, 23-18) are to steal a game or two from an Illinois team that has been putting up lots of runs lately, they will need their hitters to stay hot.
Illini sophomore Pepper Gay clings to a 13-11 record on the season while fanning 105 batters, for sixth in the Big Ten.
UW head coach Yvette Healy said she is looking for her players to rattle the Illinois pitchers.
""We're going to face some really good pitching,"" Healy said. ""But it's going to be a slugfest, I hope.""
UW freshman Cassandra Darrah is off to a remarkable freshman campaign, but her biggest struggle has been getting run support. Still, she has earned 12 wins to just seven losses.
Healy acknowledged that Darrah is starting to gain respect throughout the conference, especially after a stellar losing effort on Wednesday.
""That was her best performance for the Big Ten season so far,"" Healy said. ""We're really proud of her. She's throwing some things she hasn't thrown before and getting a lot of success.""
Fellow freshman Amanda Najdek has also stepped into a key role and given Wisconsin some quality pitching. She is second in the Big Ten with 14 relief appearances, including one Wednesday where she pitched five scoreless innings on her way to capturing her third win of the season.
The Badgers said they like their chances headed into the final stretch of the season as they add depth to their lineup. Wisconsin welcomed back two freshmen Wednesday, left fielder Mary Massei and first baseman Michelle Mueller, after injuries forced them to look on from the bench.
Mueller is looking forward to the opportunity to help her team out again on the field.
""It always sucks if you get injured,"" Mueller said. ""You just really want to be out there and your heart's out there, but you're held back. And, when you get back, you're ready to go.""
Errors were another factor in Wednesday's games that contributed to the Badgers' success. This time it was Wisconsin who capitalized on its opponents' errors instead of taking themselves out of close games with their own mistakes.
They gave up a combined four runs to Minnesota in the doubleheader, while committing no errors on the day.
Mueller, who kept the Badgers' four-run second inning alive yesterday after reaching on an error by Minnesota, noted the importance of her team's ability to make other teams pay for their mistakes.
""At the end of the day, coaches are happy if we put [the ball] in play because we force errors,"" Mueller said.
