April 8, 2010
Box Score
Box Score 
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MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin softball team opened up the home portion of its 2010 schedule on a winning note, downing South Dakota State 7-1 on Thursday afternoon. Letty Olivarez struck out a season-high 10 batters, while the offense put up three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings and had a season-high 13 hits.
After South Dakota State scored an unearned run in the first inning, the Badgers used a two-out rally to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third.
Junior Ashley Hanewich got things going with a two-out single to left field. Junior Jennifer Krueger then doubled to put runners on second and third. Freshman Kendall Grimm provided the clutch hit as she grounded to third and beat the throw to first to drive in Hanewich.
The game was broken open in the fourth inning as the first three batters all reached.
Molly Spence drilled the ball up the middle for a leadoff single to start and gained the 2-1 lead for Wisconsin off a triple from Whitney Massey. The three-bagger was the fourth of the season for Massey, setting a new school record for triples by a freshman.
Massey was brought in soon after thanks to a single to right field by sophomore Karla Powell to make it 3-1. After a out by Olivarez, senior Katie Soderberg put down a bunt single that allowed Powell to reach third. Hanewich struck out swinging, but Kreuger then grounded a ball to third and beat the throw to first, allowing Powell to run home to cap off the inning with a 4-1 Badger lead.
Wisconsin added three insurance runs in the following inning.
Pinch runner Abby Gregory replaced Shannel Blackshear, who had singled to start the bottom of the fifth. Following a single from Spence, Massey hit a single to right field to load the bases with no outs. Massey’s hit was followed by two quick outs, but Gregory was able to sneak home on a wild pitch. Spence and Massey then made it home off a Katie Soderberg single to boost UW to a 7-1 lead.
Olivarez pitched all six innings, striking out a season-high 10 batters and giving up zero earned runs.
Four different Badgers had at least two hits in the win, including Soderberg who finished with a career-best 3-for-3 performance and two RBI.
The Badgers are back in action this weekend with two games against Penn State on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m., and a second game versus South Dakota State on Sunday at 3 p.m.
