The Wisconsin softball team traveled to Iowa Wednesday and pulled off a doubleheader sweep, dealing Iowa its first two home losses of the season with a 7-6 victory in game one and a 6-3 win in the game two.
Iowa (8-6 Big Ten, 26-19 overall) came into the doubleheader with a perfect 7-0 record at home this season, and fresh off a 4-2 victory over then No. 1 Michigan Saturday. Wisconsin (6-8, 26-19) claimed the program's first two-game sweep ever in Iowa City.
Both offenses sprung to life early in game one, as junior designated hitter Karla Powell smacked a double off the wall in the first inning to score sophomore third baseman Shannel Blackshear. Iowa quickly responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, aided by two Badger errors.
Iowa's lead was short-lived, however, as sophomore infielder Whitney Massey came on to pinch hit in the top of the second and drove the ball over the right field wall for a three-run homer to tie the game at 4. Later in the inning, Powell scored freshman outfielder Mary Massei on a sacrifice fly.
The Badgers then used their aggressiveness on the base paths to their advantage. With senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger on third, Blackshear took off for second base. The Iowa catcher threw the ball into center field, and Krueger came home easily for Wisconsin's sixth run.
Freshman pitcher Cassandra Darrah was taken out of the game after giving up a solo home run to Iowa junior infielder Katie Keim in the bottom of the second. Darrah, a Corydon, Iowa native, had a large contingent of family and friends on hand to see her pitch a college game in her home state for the first time. The freshman unfortunately did not turn in her best performance of the season, allowing four earned runs in one inning of work.
On to pitch in relief was freshman Amanda Najdek, and she did her part to calm the Hawkeye bats. She pitched six innings and allowed only one run—a third inning Iowa run which tied the game at six.
Wisconsin would be the team to finally break the tie in the top of the seventh. Blackshear led off the inning with a walk. Sophomore Abby Gregory came on to pinch run, and headed to second base on a passed ball. A sacrifice fly by Powell moved Gregory to third. The Badgers then used one of their favorite plays to get the run across-—the squeeze bunt. Freshman shortstop Stephanie Peace got the bunt down and Powell beat the tag from Iowa's catcher to give the Badgers a 7-6 lead.
Iowa threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out double, but Najdek retired the final two batters for her fourth victory of the season.
The Wisconsin offense did not cool down in game two. Falling behind 3-0 in the third, the Badgers battled back to take a 6-3 lead. A fifth inning two-run homer by Blackshear and a sixth inning three-run shot by Massei did most of the damage.
Darrah did not disappoint in game two and was brilliant in relief after struggling in the first game. She gave up no runs in four and two-thirds innings of work and picked up her 14th victory of the season.
With the win, the Badgers picked up two huge victories in their quest to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. A two game sweep of No. 44 Iowa will definitely boost their resume.
UW will have another opportunity to improve its record this weekend when they host No. 2 Michigan.
—UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
