The Badgers (5-1 Big Ten, 24-7 overall) began conference play this past week, taking on Big Ten opponents Illinois (1-5, 11-7) and Iowa (1-5, 20-13) in two separate away series. Wisconsin was scheduled to play two same-day games at home against Northwestern (2-3, 16-13) Wednesday, but both were postponed due to poor weather conditions.
In Champaign, Ill., the Badgers broke out the brooms for a three-game sweep in their series against Illinois, winning each game by at least three runs per game and never allowing more than two.
Wisconsin dominated the first game of the series on both sides of the ball in an 8-1 win. Senior first baseman Shannel Blackshear led the Badgers with two runs, while six others scored the rest of the runs in a concerted team effort. Junior pitcher Cassandra Darrah allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings on the bump.
The second game against Illinois played out similarly, with UW winning 5-1. Illinois scored immediately in the first inning, marking only the ninth time all season the Badgers had to play while behind. Senior pitcher Meghan McIntosh locked down the opposing offense for the rest of the game, allowing only three hits and walking none. Junior infielder Michelle Mueller led the Badgers on offense, knocking in three runs in the third and fifth innings. Senior infielder Whitney Massey also recorded an insurance home run in the seventh inning.
Darrah once again took to the mound for the last game against Illinois and delivered another dominating performance, allowing only four hits and two walks in a 5-2 UW win. The Badgers went scoreless through four innings while Illinois scored a run in the second inning, but Blackshear blasted a two-run homer in the fifth. In the sixth inning Wisconsin turned on the heat, scoring three more runs, one of them a career first for freshman third baseman Stefanni LaJeunesse.
Darrah and McIntosh had a combined 0.67 ERA for the series, which led to Darrah once again earning Big Ten Player of the Week. This marks the second time she has won the honor this season, putting Badgers’ total at six for the year, more than any other Big Ten team.
The first game of the series against Iowa went nine innings, with the Badgers losing 2-1, their first loss in 13 games and Darrah's first loss in seven games. Six different Badgers connected with the ball, but only LaJeunesse scored, hitting a home run in the fifth inning.
The second game was different story, as McIntosh dominated by allowing only two hits, striking out six batters and walking one in an 8-0 UW win. Wisconsin blew the game wide open in the fifth inning by scoring five runs, all of which came with two outs. LaJeunesse again led the Badgers on offense, recording three RBI.
Wisconsin took the series in the third game, winning 3-0. Darrah earned her sixth shutout of the season with her 16th win, while junior outfielder Mary Massei went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI.
The Badgers will head to Minneapolis next weekend to take on Minnesota, and then Wisconsin will open up its home season against Northern Iowa April 10.
