Wisconsin softball finished second in the Texas Classic in Austin, Texas, last weekend. The Badgers lost all three games in round-robin play, but defeated Utah in an elimination game before falling to Wichita State in the championship game.
Despite going winless in round-robin play, Wisconsin took the field Sunday against the Shockers, with a chance to win the tournament. But Wichita State got on the board early and silenced Wisconsin's bats to coast to victory.
Sophomore pitcher Letty Olivarez surrendered a run in the second inning to put the Badgers in an early hole. Wichita State tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning off Olivarez. Wisconsin misplayed a ball off the bat of left fielder Katie McGinny that scored right fielder Kiersten Dixon. An RBI single by shortstop Britnee Barnett scored a third run for the Shockers.
Wisconsin's best chance to put some runs on the board came in the fourth inning. Down 3-0, senior shortstop Lynn Anderson and junior first baseman Alexis Garcia led off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and third with no outs. But Shocker pitcher Brianna Smet retired the next three batters to end the inning, keeping the shutout alive.
Olivarez pitched 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, none of which were earned, to take the loss and fall to 3-7 on the season. Smet went 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and no runs to earn her third victory of the season.
The only win for Wisconsin this weekend came against Utah in the tournament semifinals on Saturday. The odds were stacked against the Badgers, as they were already 0-2 against the Utes this season and failed to win a single game in round-robin play.
But the Badgers were able to get their bats going, with Olivarez and junior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven combining for a solid effort to give Wisconsin the win.
With the Badgers down 1-0 in the fourth inning, Anderson hit a two-run home run and put Wisconsin ahead 2-1. Later in the inning, junior left fielder Valyncia Raphael also went yard to make the score 3-1.
The Utes closed the gap in the bottom of the inning, as right fielder Kelly Matthews connected with an RBI single.
Wisconsin added a fourth run in the fifth inning on a Utah error.
Despite loading the bases twice in the final three innings, Utah failed to tie the game.
Olivarez threw 3.1 innings and gave up two runs, only one of them earned, to secure the win. Vanevenhoven entered the game in relief and allowed just one hit, no walks and no runs in 3.2 innings to seal the win for Wisconsin. Ashley Smuda allowed three runs in four innings to take the loss for Utah.
Before the elimination round, Wisconsin lost 9-1 to Utah, 7-4 to Wichita State Friday and 5-1 to Texas Saturday in round robin play.
- uwbadgers.com
contributed to this report
