It was a beautiful spring day for a doubleheader at Goodman Diamond, and the Wisconsin softball team kept South Dakota State off the scoreboard in both games Wednesday afternoon. The Badgers (2-4 Big Ten, 22-15 overall) won the first game 4-0 and took the second 7-0.
Solid pitching performances by freshman Cassandra Darrah and sophomore Meghan McIntosh kept the Jackrabbits (8-28) off balance the entire night.
""They're doing a nice job of getting ahead and spotting pitches,"" Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy said. ""Two shutouts is just a phenomenal thing to do. For both of them to do it, I think the first one sets the bar and the second one wants to keep achieving.""
In the first game of the afternoon, Darrah was masterful, pitching a no-hitter through the first six innings. The Jackrabbits broke the no-hit bid in the first at-bat of the seventh with a groundball single up the middle by shortstop Ashley Durazo. But Durazo wasn't on base for long, as the next South Dakota State hitter lined the ball right at freshman shortstop Stephanie Peace, who jumped and made a solid over the head snag. She then quickly threw to first to pick off Durazo for a double play.
Darrah finished with a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit and one walk in seven solid innings of work. She also struck out four batters and did not allow a runner to advance past first base.
Wisconsin struck first in the bottom of the second thanks to a two-RBI single by junior infielder Jordan Skinner. The hit scored sophomore outfielder Whitney Massey and senior first baseman Dana Rasmussen, and Skinner advanced to second on the throw to home.
The Badgers' lead was extended to three thanks to a sacrifice fly from junior designated hitter Karla Powell in the fourth inning. Wisconsin added an extra insurance in the sixth thanks to a RBI single by Peace.
McIntosh was the Badgers' starting pitcher for the second game of the twinbill. Unlike Darrah's outing, it was not a smooth sailing performance for McIntosh. She got herself into a jam in the top of the second inning, allowing runners to reach second and third base with only one out. But McIntosh got the two outs she needed to end the inning and keep the Jackrabbits from scoring.
In the third inning, senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger set the Wisconsin single season record for stolen bases with her 30th stolen base of the season, breaking the record of 29 she set last season.
It took the Badgers' offense a while to warm up in the second game, but Wisconsin finally broke through against sophomore South Dakota St. pitcher Pam Nicholson in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Massey drove in two runs on a double to give the Badgers a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin brought home four more runs in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 6-0. In the frame, Peace and Powell both had bases loaded RBI singles and two more runs scored on a South Dakota St. error. The Badgers added one final run in the sixth when senior outfielder Jennifer Krueger singled, stole second, stole third and scored after the Jackrabbits catcher threw the ball into the outfield.
Wisconsin ended up with a whopping seven stolen bases in the second game. Krueger noted that the team's aggressiveness on the basepaths rattled the South Dakota St. players.
""That's what we do, try to cause havoc out there,"" Krueger said. ""As soon as they start throwing the ball around a little bit, it gets in their heads.""
Next up for the Badgers is a road trip to Indiana this weekend. The Badgers haven't left the friendly confines of Goodman Diamond in two weeks, but Wisconsin is confident and ready for the road challenge.
""We'll win in Indiana,"" Darrah promised.
