Wisconsin came back with some late inning heroics to beat Ohio State in game two of its doubleheader at Goodman Softball Complex Saturday, 4-3.
With the game tied at three in the bottom of the seventh inning and runners on first and third with one out, junior third baseman Theresa Boruta hit a ground ball to sophomore shortstop Whitney Cooper. Cooper's throw to first base was not in time, and freshman center fielder Jennifer Krueger, who was on third base, broke to the plate on the throw to first. The throw home beat Krueger, but the ball was dislodged on Krueger's slide, making her safe at home and giving the Badgers a dramatic walk-off victory.
Wisconsin (3-15 Big Ten, 15-38 overall) entered their final half-inning of the game down 3-1. Senior shortstop Lynn Anderson reached base safely, but sophomore right fielder Katie Soderberg was retired for the first out of the inning.
That brought up light-hitting freshman second baseman Livi Abney. Abney entered the doubleheader batting .206 with one home run and six runs batted in. The unlikely hero, however, blasted a pitch over the fence to drive in Anderson and herself and tie the ball game.
Sophomore Letty Olivarez pitched a complete game to earn her seventh victory of the season. She allowed 10 base runners, but was still able to limit the Buckeyes to three runs. Olivarez also struck out seven batters.
Junior Kim Reeder took the loss in relief for Ohio State (6-12 Big Ten, 30-21 overall). Reeder surrendered five hits, three walks and three earned runs in two innings.
The Badgers hit the ball well with 12 hits, and got multi-hit games out of four players. Senior catcher Joey Daniels had three base hits, and Boruta, Olivarez and Abney all had two.
It was a thrilling win for Wisconsin, but in game one of the twin bill it was the Buckeyes who overcame the deficit and came back in the final inning to win 6-3.
Wisconsin had the Buckeyes down to their final out with a one-run lead and the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Sophomore first baseman Tory Haddad then hit a bases-clearing double off junior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven, giving the Buckeyes a 5-3 lead.
The Badgers entered the final inning leading 3-0. Vanevenhoven, who has been prone to struggle with control at times, hit the leadoff batter, sophomore second baseman Rebecca Schultz. Vanevenhoven was able to induce a grounder for the first out of the inning, but then allowed a single to senior center fielder Liz Caputo and a walk to freshman pinch hitter Karisa Medrano.
Sophomore catcher Sam Marder then drove in a run with a single, and another hit batsmen made the score 3-2 when Haddad stepped to the plate.
Ohio State added another run to take a thre-run lead into the bottom half of the seventh. Wisconsin loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout by junior first baseman Alexis Garcia and a groundout by Anderson ended the game.
The loss officially eliminated the Badgers from qualifying for the Big Ten tournament.
