The University of Wisconsin softball team split its two-game home opener against Green Bay (2-6 Horizon League, 10-19 overall) Tuesday, losing the first game 2-1 and winning the second 4-3.
In the first game, Wisconsin (7-5 Big Ten, 30-9 overall) scored right away in the first inning when senior first baseman Shannel Blackshear drove in senior second baseman Whitney Massey for a run. Green Bay answered immediately in the second, however, tying the score at one.
The Badgers kept the score even at one apiece through six innings before Green Bay scored in the seventh off an error by Wisconsin.
While senior pitcher Meghan McIntosh allowed only four hits and one walk, Phoenix senior pitcher Allison Goecks allowed three hits and four walks. Although McIntosh’s start looked better on the stat sheet, Goecks came out of the game victorious.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Green Bay appeared to pick up right where it left off scoring three runs against junior pitcher Cassandra Darrah in the first inning.
But this game would not end like the first. The Badgers answered right away in the second inning when junior outfielder Mary Massei hit a double into right field, adding a run to the scoreboard. Wisconsin earned another run in the next inning off a sacrifice fly by junior infielder Michelle Mueller.
The Badgers kept their bats hot the whole game, recording a large number of hits, but had a hard time adding runs to the scoreboard until late in the contest. The score would not change until the sixth inning, when Massey blasted a two-run home run to score junior infielder Stephanie Peace.
Darrah managed to close out the game quickly without any challenge from Green Bay’s offense. She ended the game in the top of the seventh inning with four hits, six strikeouts and only one walk.
Wisconsin’s bats were clearly the impressive part of the second game, and Green Bay’s stat line shows it: Phoenix sophomore pitcher Lauren Danner allowed 13 hits and walked two while Green Bay committed four errors. Senior outfielder Kendall Grimm went 3-for-3 on the night with one run. Massey, Peace, Blackshear and Massei each had two hits.
The Badgers will continue their home stand through April 24. Wisconsin takes on Ohio State in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m. at Goodman Diamond. Wisconsin also plays Northwestern in a doubleheader next Wednesday.
