The Badgers (8-5-1 Big Ten, 23-17-1 overall) had a weekend of ups and downs when they faced Iowa (2-12, 12-28) in Iowa City Friday through Sunday. Fortunately for them, the weekend ended in Wisconsin’s favor when it took the series 2-1, building on a strong week that ended with four conference wins.
In the first game Friday, there was no score through the first two innings.
In the top of the third inning, Chloe Miller hit a three-run home run, allowing herself, Kelsey Jenkins and Ashley Van Zeeland to score, making the score 3-0 in favor of Wisconsin. Iowa responded at the bottom of the third inning with a two-RBI single of its own, making the score 3-2.
The Hawkeyes tied the game 3-3 at the bottom of the fourth off a double play that allowed Mallory Kilian to score.
In the top of the sixth, Wisconsin staged a comeback when Sam Arents singled to right center to kick off the inning. Brianna Flugaur came in and pinch ran for Arents, who reached second, and allowed Katie Christner to reach first on a fielder’s choice. With two runners on and no outs, Melanie Cross hit a single up the middle, allowing Flugaur to score, putting the Badgers back into the lead, 4-3.
Still in the sixth, Macy Oswald singled, loading the bases for Jenkins, who reached on a fielder’s choice, bringing Christner home to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Badgers.
Iowa tried to stage a comeback at the bottom of the seventh inning, but they were only able to muster one run, making the final score a 5-4 Wisconsin victory, with Taylor-Paige Stewart the winning pitcher.
In Saturday’s game, the outcome was much different. In the first inning, the Badgers wasted no time getting Jenkins back to home plate after her double and Van Zeeland’s single, making the score 1-0.
As quickly as the first score came, a second one followed. Christner hit an RBI single, bringing Miller back home, putting the score at 2-0 Wisconsin.
Iowa responded in the bottom of the first, bringing Claire Fritsch to home plate and making the score 2-1.
Iowa went down in order at the bottom of the second at the hands of Kirsten Stevens, but the bottom of the third was a different story.
The floodgates opened for the Hawkeyes when Holly Hoffman hit home plate, prompting the Badgers to make a pitching change to Stewart, the score at that point being 3-2 in favor of Iowa.
Iowa pulled in one more run in the third inning, making the score 4-2.
The Badgers struggled offensively and defensively throughout the rest of the game, allowing for one more Iowa run to be scored and taking the 5-2 loss.
On Sunday, the Badgers were able to put Saturday’s loss behind them and, led by Stewart, who pitched all seven innings, staged a strong performance to win the series 2-1.
Iowa took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, and Wisconsin was unable to capitalize on any attempts to hit or score until the fifth.
Arents sliced a double, the first UW hit of the game, in the fifth inning. Oswald then hit a RBI single, bringing Kelly Welsh, who reentered the game to run, home to tie the game 1-1.
The score was tied at 1-1 to start the sixth inning, and the game was going down to the wire.
Christner was able to hit a RBI single, scoring both Gabby Scherle and Cross, making the score 3-1. Iowa attempted to respond, but Scherle and Cross scoring effectively ended the game, giving the Badgers two critical Big Ten wins on the weekend.
"It's a huge win and a huge week for us," said head coach Yvette Healy. "It might be one of the best weeks of softball I've seen with four Big Ten wins in the same week, that's historic."
The Badgers return home to Goodman Diamond for 10 straight home games, starting with a doubleheader Wednesday against the University of North Dakota.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
