Wisconsin picked up its first conference victory at the Goodman Softball Complex Sunday, splitting a doubleheader with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Both Wisconsin (1-7 Big Ten, 11-28 overall) and Indiana (1-7, 10-26) were winless in the Big Ten entering the twin bill. The Hoosiers used a late-inning surge to capture the first game, 5-3. And the Badgers took the nightcap 3-0 with a spectacular pitching performance by freshman Kristyn Hansen.
Hansen, a true freshman making her first Big Ten start, pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits and five walks.
The start was a surprising one for Hansen, who walked into the locker room before the games hoping to see some action in relief but had no idea she would be taking the hill to open a game for the first time as a Badger.
Right before the game [I found out I was going to start],"" Hansen said. ""I was in relief the first game behind Letty [Olivarez] and I was warm so they decided to throw me in there.""
Hansen struck out the first two batters she faced, but then allowed back-to-back walks, setting up a dicey situation in the first inning. But she then induced an inning-ending groundout to freshman second baseman Livi Abney.
The greatest scare for Hansen and Wisconsin came in the fifth inning. With the Badgers ahead 3-0, Indiana junior second baseman Julie DiNallo led off with a walk. Then an infield single off the glove of Hansen by junior first baseman Stephanie Pellerito and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore right fielder Jennifer Glueckert put two runners in scoring position with one out.
But Wisconsin got a great play out of junior third baseman Theresa Borouta, who snagged a soft liner in foul territory off the bat of Hoosier senior center fielder Julia Hamilton.
A walk to Indiana junior pinch hitter Sarah Padove loaded the bases and put the tying run on first, but Hansen got out of the jam when Borouta fielded a sharp ground ball off the bat of junior Hoosier shortstop Emily Bergeson.
Borouta converted the fielder's choice to get the Badgers out of the inning.
It was Indiana's lone opportunity to take the lead in the ball game, but Hansen was able to stay composed and get out of the inning unscathed.
""I think after the performance of my defense early on in the game I knew that if I managed to get the ball in play my defense would be right behind me,"" Hansen said.
The solid start by Hansen made quite an impression on assistant coach Julie Wright.
""What a tremendous mental giant,"" Wright said of her pitcher. ""She found out literally 10 minutes before the game [that she was going to start]. I don't know if she was completely warm, but she was mentally warm.""
Hansen was the standout player in the game, but the defense behind her did not commit an error and made several sparkling plays.
""That's the best defense I've seen us play,"" Wright said.
The team was in a good mood after the victory, but it could have been better if the Badgers were able to hold onto their lead in the first game and sweep Indiana.
Wisconsin jumped on Indiana in the first inning of game one, scoring two runs on junior left fielder Valyncia Raphael's double.
And with a 2-0 lead, junior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven was able to hold the Hoosiers in check for the next six innings.
""[Vanevenhoven] had a great start."" Wright said. ""She just handled their lefties and they couldn't even think [about] getting on base.""
Vanevenhoven pitched six innings and surrendered five hits, two walks and no runs while striking out six. Despite being extremely effective, she was taken out of the game.
Vanevenhoven entered the contest with a nagging minor finger injury, and after facing 25 batters, she was unable to continue.
Sophomore Letty Olivarez entered in the seventh inning, hoping to get the final three outs and seal the victory for the Badgers.
Olivarez retired two of the first three batters she faced. However, freshman Hoosier pinch hitter Alyssa Maise hit a towering fly ball that could not be tracked down by Raphael for a run-scoring double. Bergeson followed with a line drive up the middle to score Maise from second base.
With two outs and the game tied, Olivarez surrendered a three-run home run to Hoosier senior third baseman Jennilee Huddleston to give Indiana a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Wisconsin scratched out a run on a couple misplays by Indiana in the field. But with the tying run on first base, junior first baseman Alexis Garcia popped out to first base to end the game.
Purdue takes two
Before playing Indiana Sunday, the Badgers lost to the Purdue Boilermakers 5-2 Friday night and 4-3 Saturday.
Despite falling behind 4-0 in the second game, the Badgers battled back, but were not able to take the lead.
