Zacher's Ninth-Inning Blast Gives Badgers 4-2 Win
April 18, 2003 | Softball
Sophomore Kris Zacher sent a full-count pitch over the left field fence with two outs in the top of the ninth to give the Wisconsin softball team a 4-2 victory over Northwestern Friday. The Badgers (14-20, 3-8 Big Ten) are 5-3 this season in extra-inning games.
With the game at 2-2, Emily Friedman led off the top of the ninth with a single through the left side. Two strikeouts later, Zacher hit the game-winning shot, her second home run of the season and sixth of her career.
Northwestern and Wisconsin battled through four scoreless innings before the Badgers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth. The Badgers put two runners on in the top of the first, fourth and fifth with one out and while unable to capitalize the first two times, UW made the third time a charm.
With one out in the fifth, Zacher was plunked and Mandy Liles stepped to the plate. Liles set down a bunt in front of the plate and NU first baseman Jamie Dotson ran down the line to scoop up the ball. Liles avoided Dotson and reached first.
Meghann Reiss blooped a single into left field and Zacher scored. Making the play more interesting, Reiss rounded first and was caught in a pickle for about 15 seconds before besting the NU fielders and beating the ball back to first. Boo Gillette followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Liles from third to make it 2-0.
NU evened the score in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out in the inning, Brett Nakabayashi broke up Andrea Kirchberg's no-hitter. Erin Mobley tied it up for Northwestern with a two-run home run over the left field wall.
In the bottom of the seventh, Zacher closed out the inning with an excellent defensive play. With one out and two on, Lauren Schwendimann popped up to second base. Zacher dived back to her left to make the play and tagged the bag, catching the NU runner heading to third.
The Badgers face the Wildcats Saturday at noon.
