The Wisconsin softball team made sure to celebrate Easter in style with a 2-1 victory over Illinois at Goodman Diamond Sunday. The win ensured a series split with the Fighting Illini, who won 4-2 Saturday in eight innings.
""It's one of the most exciting wins I've ever had as a coach, honestly,"" head coach Yvette Healy said.
Illinois (7-5 Big Ten, 20-18 overall) arrived in Madison this weekend with statistically the best offense in Big Ten games, averaging 7.2 runs per game and hitting for a .331 average in ten conference matchups. But the Badger freshman pitching duo of Cassandra Darrah and Amanda Najdek held the potent Illini offense to only five runs over two games.
""For two young freshmen to do that, I really couldn't be prouder,"" Healy said. Our pitching coach Tracie Adix is doing a great job with these young pitchers.""
Darrah's performance against Illinois Sunday was especially impressive, as she allowed one run and four hits in seven innings of work. Darrah struck out five batters and threw her 15th complete game of the season.
Wisconsin (4-8, 24-19) struck early in Sunday's victory with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Badgers loaded the bases and junior third baseman Shannel Blackshear brought home freshman outfielder Mary Massei with a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.
Massei has been on fire at the plate for Wisconsin since her return from a facial fracture injury, racking up a .500 average, two triples, one home run and six RBI in five conference games.
The Badgers were not done scoring. With freshman shortstop Stephanie Peace on first and senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger on third, Peace broke for second, drawing a throw. Krueger then sped home to give the Badgers a 2-0 lead.
Darrah got through the first four innings with ease, allowing one hit. She got into a jam in the fifth, however. After an Illinois assistant coach was ejected for arguing balls and strikes, the Fighting Illini loaded the bases with one out. Darrah allowed one run on an infield single, but retired the next two batters to end the inning with the Badgers still ahead, 2-1.
""[My mentality] was just to stay composed and stay the same as I had been,"" Darrah said.
Despite having only four hits Wisconsin had a plethora of runners on base thanks to six walks and two Illinois errors, but UW was not able to get the key hits. Fortunately, Darrah retired the final eight batters in order, securing the 2-1 win.
Saturday's game featured a pitching duel between Najdek and Illinois sophomore pitcher Jackie Guy. Najdek allowed only one run through the first seven innings, though Guy kept Wisconsin off the board until the seventh, when the Badgers scored to force extra innings.
Massei stepped up to the plate to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and she smacked Guy's 1-0 offering over the right field wall to tie the game at one. It was Massei's first home run of the season. She said that she was just trying to get on base and did not know it would leave the park when it left her bat.
""I actually went into shock a little bit,"" Massei said. ""But it was a great feeling.""
In the extra frame, Illinois was able to push across three runs against Najdek. Wisconsin tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth, but it would not be enough as Illinois took the victory, 4-2.
The Badgers gave Illinois everything they could handle this weekend, and the split against one of the top teams in the Big Ten has the Badgers thinking big.
""We have a lot of goals set for our team, and we really want to make it to regionals. This is a major step,"" Massei said.
