Badgers Ousted From Big Ten Tournament
May 10, 2002 | Softball
The Wisconsin softball team was eliminated from the 2002 Big Ten Championship Friday after a 2-1 loss to Illinois in the second round. Sophomore Sheena Padovan accounted for the UW's lone run, sending a solo homer over the centerfield wall in the top of the fifth inning.
The Fighting Illini responded in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run of their own, as Alichia Hammel tallied the game-winning score with a shot to left. Wisconsin falls to 31-20 overall with the loss while U of I improves to 34-23 on the season.
Illinois got a fast start out of the gate as the first three batters hit infield singles to load the basses. After UW starter Andrea Kirchberg struck out cleanup hitter Janna Sartini, one of Kirchberg's eight K's in the contest, the Illini put a run on the board when Erin Montgomery walked to bring home LeeAnn Butcher.
Wisconsin was able to produce just two baserunners over the first four innings with Kristin Zacher reaching on a double in the first and Mandy Liles getting a single in the fourth. Both Zacher and Liles finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate.
After Illinois lined into a double play to end the fourth inning, Padovan's homer, her first of the year, evened the score at 1-1. Despite three hits in the sixth, Wisconsin was unable to take the lead, leaving runners at second and third to end the inning. After Hammel's blast put the Illini back on top, the Badgers were again unable to capitalize on runners in scoring position. Meghann Reiss and Padovan got a pair of walks to lead off the seventh, but Illinois forced the next three out to advance to the tournament's next round.
