All season long the Badger offense has put up prodigious numbers and drowned out opponents with vast quantities of runs. Tuesday's doubleheader against Valparaiso was no different.
In the midst of their 11-1 and 10-2 wins, the Badgers set three offensive records in the double dip.
Senior out fielder Ana Miller batted in six RBIs over the course of the day and set an all-time singleseason record for RBIs with 35. In the second game, the Badgers set the record for most home runs in a single game with five (two from senior outfielder Natalie Phillips, and one from senior shortstop Kris Zacher, Miller and sophomore infielder Athena Vasquez).
\Everybody just seemed relaxed today. ... Five home runs-that's awesome,"" Phillips said. ""It was a good day. When you don't try it goes. For the most part the pitches were right there.""
Both games ended before the end of the standard seven innings as UW ran up the score and was ahead by eight runs in the fifth inning of game one. In game two Zacher hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to end the game courtesy of the mercy rule.
Game one also saw some leg work from the Badgers as sophomore outfielder Sam Polito and Zacher hit back-to-back triples in the second inning.
While the offensive firepower from the Badgers was plentiful, Valpo committed six errors on the day (two in the game one and four in game two).
Not to be forgotten in the drubbing were two stellar performances from UW pitchers sophomore Eden Brock and senior Katie Layne.
""We had the defense, we had the pitching and we had the hitting. As far as the pitching goes, they've been rocks all year long,"" Phillips said.
Admittedly, at 11-40-1, this Crusader team is not the best squad that the Badgers have faced this year, but any time a team can put up double-digit runs in consecutive games it's a good day.
""We took care of business-which we should have. They really shouldn't have had any runs or even hits as far as I'm concerned,"" head coach Karen Gallagher said.
As much as it was a day of records, it was also a day of firsts. Vasquez hit her first homer of the season in game two while Phillips hit her first and second of the season.
The Badgers play their final home game of the year tonight at 5 p.m. against Illinois-Chicago. Their last two games of the season are away against Minnesota Saturday and Sunday. The Badgers will then prepare for their first postseason appearance in three years May 12.
