Badgers Cap Off Fall Season in Style
October 04, 2003 | Softball
The Wisconsin softball team wrapped up its fall season in style Saturday afternoon at Goodman Diamond, sweeping a doubleheader from Winona State. The Badgers pounded out 14 hits, including four home runs, in winning the opener 12-1 before taking the nightcap 4-1.
With the two victories, UW wraps up its fall season with a record of 5-1-1.
Wisconsin scored in each of the five innings it batted in the first game. Freshman Athena Vasquez started her red-hot day off with a run-scoring triple and later scored in the bottom of the first to make it 2-0 before the Badgers broke the game wide open with a five-run second. Natalie Phillips led off the inning with a home run to right field and three batters later, Vasquez ripped a two-run double to make it 5-0. UW wasn't finished, though, as Meghann Reiss hit a two-run home run to put her team up seven.
Kris Zacher added a home run of her own in the bottom of the third to put Bucky up 8-0. Wisconsin struck for three more runs in the fourth behind Reiss' second homer ' a two-run shot ' and Sheena Padovan's RBI single.
UW capped its scoring in the fifth as Vasquez tallied her fourth RBI of the game and her second triple when she brought home Zacher with a gapper to right-center. Winona State managed to avoid the shutout when it pushed across a single run in the top of the sixth.
Zacher was a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs scored, while Vasquez was 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Reiss collected both of her hits via the longball to go along with four batted in, and Padovan contributed two hits as well.
Sara Gonzales allowed just two hits while striking out six in five innings of work to pick up the win. Megan Smith pitched the final inning for the Badgers, surrendering one run on two hits while striking out two.
Game Two was much closer as Wisconsin started with a number of younger players in the lineup. Winona State picked up an unearned run in the top of the third off Badger starter Eden Brock to take the early lead.
UW mounted its game-winning rally in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across three runs. With one out and Phillips on third, Diana Consolmagno reached on an error by Warrior pitcher Elissa Wisniewski, giving the Badgers runners at the corners. Vasquez followed with her fifth RBI of the day, a run-scoring single to tie the game 1-1. Zacher then wasted little time in giving Wisconsin the lead, scorching a two-run triple to right-center to put UW up 3-1.
Wisconsin added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Megan Missaggia brought home Stephanie Chinn with a fielder's choice groundout.
Vasquez went 2-for-2 in the game and finished the day 5-for-6 with four extra-base hits and five RBI.
Brock gave up four hits, struck out four, walked none and allowed just the one unearned run in five innings pitched to earn the victory. Katie Layne worked the final two innings, allowing one hit while striking out two and walking two to pick up the save.
The Badgers will open their regular season Feb. 13-15 when they open the regular season with a tournament in Las Vegas.
