The Wisconsin Badgers (15-12) softball team overcame a rocky start at the Capital Classic this past weekend by winning two of their three final games in the tournament. But it was the way the Badgers won that made the end of the tournament sweeter than the start.
Wisconsin managed to swing momentum back in their favor, especially in the final game, after losing two heartbreakers to begin the weekend. The Badgers, behind a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, slid past St. Mary's (Calif.) (7-21) Sunday and thrashed Tennessee State (10-14) Saturday, finishing the tournament with a record of 2-3.
The Badgers saw golden opportunities slip away in each loss over the weekend. Wisconsin forged a late comeback against Long Beach State (24-7) Friday afternoon, only to fall short in the end. Nevada (21-10) needed a two-out rally in the top of the fourth inning to survive, scoring four runs to cement the victory. Against Sacramento State (14-13), the Badgers left seven baserunners stranded on base in the first three innings.
In the loss to Long Beach State, the Badgers rallied with one out in the top of the seventh to score three runs and tie the game. Down 4-1, junior catcher Boo Gillette singled and sophomore second basewoman Emily Friedman ripped a ground-rule double placing runners at the corners. Junior infielder Anastasia Miller came in to pinch-hit and responded by slapping a three-run homer to left field. But the game ended as Long Beach State centerfielder Lauren Johnson thwarted the hard work with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.
The Badgers almost staged a comeback late against Nevada, loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but managed only one score on a Miller RBI single. Foiled attempts to score early spelled doom for the Badgers against Sacramento State, but it was the Tennessee State game Saturday morning that proved to be the turning point in the tournament.
The Badgers racked up 13 hits and scored five runs in five hits in the bottom of the first, never giving the Tigers a chance to get in the game. Freshman pitcher Eden Brock gave up only three hits in five innings of work, as the game was called early due to the mercy rule. Wisconsin exorcized some of the frustrations of Friday's losses as each starter recorded at least one hit, with Gillette, Friedman, Miller and freshman infielder Tara Hamilton leading the way with two hits apiece. Even though the Badgers followed the Tennessee State game with the lackluster offensive performance against Sacramento State, things were starting to click. It was the bottom of the sixth inning against St. Mary's that brought it all to fruition.
In a back-and-forth contest, St. Mary's tied the game at three in the top of the sixth inning when leftfielder Jordann Bass singled to right, driving in the tying run. But the Badgers only needed one hit to put the game away. Miller led off with a base hit and advanced to second on a sac bunt from first-basewoman Kaitlin Reiss. Wisconsin scored three runs after a series of hit batters and errors on the part of St. Mary's. There would be no comeback bid for the Gaels, as junior pitcher Katie Layne closed the game, sewing up the solid win for the Badgers.??
