The Badger softball team (9-6 Big Ten, 28-17 overall) did not get the start to the weekend that it desired, but the ending was much sweeter.
Wisconsin's weekend began on a low note, as the Badgers had trouble with Iowa (10-4, 32-16) and its star pitcher, Kristi Hanks, Friday. The Badgers failed to put any runs on the board until the bottom of the seventh inning, when junior Anna Jones doubled to score both Badger runs. Unfortunately, the rally fell short as Iowa went on to win 5-2. Junior Andrea Kirchberg pitched well in the loss, giving up only two earned runs while striking out seven over the course of six innings.
Although Iowa led the entire game, Wisconsin nearly tied the game on junior Nicki Starry's towering shot to left center in the fourth. The ball appeared to be hit well enough to leave the stadium, but it hit the fence on the fly, and Iowa was able to get the ball in to keep Wisconsin from scoring. Iowa held the Badgers for the remainder of the inning.
Saturday's game against Iowa was canceled due to bad weather and will not be rescheduled. The game was called in the second inning with Iowa leading 4-0.
\We made some errors against Iowa and that has plagued us all year,"" Head Coach Karen Gallagher said. ""You can't make errors against them, they are just too good of a team.""
As gloomy as the outcomes were on Friday and Saturday, UW was determined to come back strong and finish out the weekend on a high note against Northwestern (10-7, 22-16-1). Wisconsin rebounded in dramatic fashion Sunday by taking both games, the first an impressive 2-1 come- from-behind victory in nine innings and 3-2 in the finale.
After Northwestern shortstop Carri Leto scored in the top of the sixth on Lauren Schwendimann's base hit, Wisconsin responded with a run in the bottom of the same inning. UW catcher freshman Boo Gillette singled to start the inning and later scored on senior Kerry Hagen's sacrifice fly.
The score remained tied until sophomore Meghann Reiss provided some late-inning heroics with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to score freshman Kristen Zacher from second base with the game-winner.
""I've hit her well in the past,"" Reiss said. ""She was working in and out, and I knew that she was going to throw an outside pitch. I just drove it where she placed it. It was really a critical game for us. It's a great confidence booster for our pitching staff and our hitters that we can come back and win when we are behind late in the game.""
The second game of the doubleheader did not disappoint and proved to be just as spectacular as the first. Northwestern took no time rebounding from the loss, as it put a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI from first baseman Gretchen Barnes.
Just as Wisconsin had done in the first game, the Badgers found a way to claw back and retake the lead. The heroine of game two for the Badgers would be left fielder Sheena Padovan. After UW loaded the bases, Padovan came through with a clutch base' clearing double scoring all three runs.
Wisconsin freshman pitcher Katie Layne pitched well, shutting down the Northwestern lineup after a shaky first inning. Kirchberg then relieved Layne in the seventh. Northwestern went on to score and make it 3-2. But Kirchberg got pinch hitter Robyn Pettinger to ground out to complete the sweep.
""[These were] two huge wins for our program,"" Gallagher said. ""We had to do well this weekend. ... These kids have a way of making it happen when it counts. They have a way of coming back, and I'm very proud of them for that.\
