Feb. 26, 2010
Box Score
UW vs. Drexel Boxscore 
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The Wisconsin softball team lost a heartbreaker of a game, 6-5, against Drexel on Friday afternoon at the 2010 Gaucho Classic. The Dragons hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh and then scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth after the Badgers took a 5-3 lead in the top of the eighth.
Playing in extra innings for the second time this season, Wisconsin pushed across two runs in the top of the eighth inning. Freshman Molly Spence began the inning at second base and was sacrificed over to third by fellow freshman Shannel Blackshear. Following a strikeout by sophomore Karla Powell, freshman Whitney Massey laced a double to left field to bring in Spence. Senior Letty Olivarez followed with a double of her own to make it a 5-3 Wisconsin lead.
Drexel rallied for three innings in the bottom of the eighth inning, however.
Amanda Bachmann was placed at second to start the inning. Paige Collins led off with a single to left field. Following a foul out to Powell at first, Kelly Downes singled to left field to bring in Bachmann and make the score 5-4 Wisconsin. A comebacker to Olivarez got the Badgers a second out but put runners on second and third for the Dragons.
Laura Stagliano then put down a bunt that spun up the first base line. The ball initially was going foul, but spun back into fair territory, allowing Collings to score from third and tie the game at 5-5.
The winning run came on the next batter as Hanna Parrish lined a single off of Powell’s glove at first base, enabling Downes to trot home.
Wisconsin opened the scoring in the top of the first as Spence launched an opposite field home run, the first of her career. Coming on a 1-1 pitch, Spence sent a line drive shot to right center field, giving Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.
Drexel tied things up in the second inning as Hillary Allen scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on a walk. The scoring play was set up by an error and a sacrifice bunt.
The Dragons scratched across a second run in the third inning.
After a leadoff strikeout, Devon Metcalf singled to center field then stole second. A single by Ashley Botelho moved Metcalf to third. Metcalf then scored on a soft liner that Powell was unable to handle.
Wisconsin took the lead back in the top of the sixth as Spence came through again.
Junior Jennifer Krueger led off the inning by reaching on an error followed by sophomore Jordan Skinner singling to right field. Spence then drilled a single to right field to bring in Krueger and move Skinner to second.
Following a groundout by Blackshear to move the runners up, Drexel intentionally walked Powell to bring freshman Whitney Massey to the plate. Facing a full count, Massey held up on a pitch in the dirt to bring in the go-ahead run.
Drexel tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, Jen Reading pinch hit for Rachel Campbell and crushed a home run to left center field.
