The UW women's softball team looks to keep up its winning ways as it travels southward for a four-game swing this weekend. The Badgers (22-20 overall, 6-8 Big Ten) travel to Iowa today to play tonight at 6:00 and then play a game Saturday at noon. The team then heads to Champaigne, Ill. to play a double-header on Sunday at noon against Illinois.
The Badgers have taken care of business in their last four games. They went into Bloomington and swept Indiana in a twin bill last Sunday by the scores of 10-7 and 5-0, and defeated Northern Iowa in consecutive games on Wednesday 7-3 and 4-3. They've also won 9 out of their last 10, with their only defeat in that stretch coming at the hands of Purdue last Saturday in West Lafayette.
Head coach Karen Gallagher attributed the team's recent success to its overall consistency.
\One thing that's really been key for us is being consistent on defense, playing good defense and helping our pitching staff,"" Gallagher said. She added later, ""The kids have been relaxed at the plate and have been hitting the ball well.""
Freshman first baseman Katie Hnatyk echoed her coach's thoughts on the importance of fielding.
""We've been really cutting down on our errors. Everybody's just been getting a lot stronger defensively.""
The Lady Badgers have their work cut out for them with the Hawkeyes, who boast a conference record of 8-4 accompanied by a 41-9 record overall and have won 11 straight games. The Fighting Illini (1-11, 20-23), on the other hand, are struggling, and have lost 8 out of their last 11 games. However, they have been victorious in their last two games, and, according to Gallagher, you really can't take any team in the Big Ten too lightly.
""They're both very good teams,"" Gallagher said, referring to Iowa and Illinois. ""There are really no bad teams in the Big Ten. Everyone plays at a high level.""
""Illinois is struggling,"" said Hnatyk. ""Hopefully we can take advantage of that.""
Gallagher also stressed the point that her team has to be more mentally prepared than physically prepared at this point in the season. After this weekend, the Badgers will have only five games left. Three of these games are at home, including a double-header against Valparaiso on Tuesday, followed by a game against Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday. The team will then travel to Minneapolis to take on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota next Saturday and Sunday. The time is now for the Badgers, who look to gain momentum heading into the Big Ten Tournament (May 12-14).
""They're realizing now that they have to make a move [in the Big Ten],"" Gallagher acknowledged.
