The Wisconsin softball team looked at this weekend's games against Michigan State as an opportunity to gain ground in the Big Ten standings and gather some momentum heading into the road portion of its conference schedule. Unfortunately, it did neither, dropping a pair of games to the Spartans.
Michigan State (6-4 Big Ten, 16-22-1 overall) used solid pitching, stellar defense and a somewhat surprising offensive attack to overpower the Badgers (3-7, 13-19) by a score of 6-0 Saturday. The loss was the Badgers' seventh straight in the Big Ten.
\This was a very disappointing weekend,"" head coach Karen Gallagher said. ""This was a great opportunity to gain some momentum. I'm disappointed that we didn't come out with the attitude and level of play we're capable of.""
Saturday afternoon's affair began in much the same way as Friday's, with the Spartans jumping out to an early lead-off Wisconsin sophomore starter Eden Brock. In the first inning, Michigan State freshman outfielder Nikki Nicosia, who went 3-for-3 on the day, singled and later scored on sophomore designated player Dayna Feenstra's RBI single, claiming a lead the Spartans would never relinquish.
The Spartans entered the weekend with the lowest team batting average and fewest runs scored in the Big Ten, but it was impossible to tell, especially during a fourth inning explosion in which they scored five runs on five hits, chasing Brock from the game. Junior right fielder Amy Szawara had an RBI double and Nicosia hit a run scoring single in the frame, which also included two costly Wisconsin errors.
""That's been their rap-that they're not good offensively,"" Gallagher said. ""But they stepped up. Hitting was contagious for them today.""
While the Spartan bats may have been hot, the Badgers were not. UW struggled offensively, failing to score against Spartan sophomore starter Rachel Turney. Turney improved to 9-12 on the season with the four-hit shutout.
""She was a pretty good pitcher, but she wasn't overbearing. She threw straight fastballs. We just didn't get the barrel on the ball,"" Gallagher said. ""We're definitely pressing a little bit. We need to just take a step back and relax.""
Sophomore center fielder Sam Polito led the Badger offense by going 2-for-3, accounting for half the Badger hits. Brock picked up the loss, falling to 10-8 on the season.
UW fared only slightly better in Friday's contest, falling to the Spartans 4-2. Michigan State jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a single tally in the second inning and three more in the third.
Wisconsin tried to claw its way back after Miller belted her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth. The Badgers loaded the bases in the sixth only to see Spartans freshman hurler Lesley Noel induce a ground out to end the threat. Noel went the distance to pick up her fourth win of the season. Brock picked up the loss for Wisconsin.
Despite the disappointing losses, Gallagher remained optimistic. ""There's still a lot of season left and a lot of Big Ten games,"" she said. ""We just have to turn things around. Monday is a new day.""
Wisconsin returns to action today at 3 p.m., when it hosts North Dakota State in a double header at Goodman Diamond.
