April 16, 2011
• Box Score | Box Score 
Indiana 4, Wisconsin 3 (8 inn.)
IU Softball Field • Bloomington, Ind.
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| |
 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | | Wisconsin | 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0 | 3
| 5
| 2
| Indiana
| 0
| 0
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1 | 4
| 12
| 1 | | | | | | Pitchers
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | W
| Melloh (21-14) | 8.0
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 2
| 21 | | L | Darrah (12-6) | 7.0
| 12
| 4
| 3
| 4
| 4
| | | Batting Leaders | • Stephanie Peace: 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R
| • Shannel Blackshear: 1-3, HR, RBI, R, BB
| • Jennifer Krueger: 1-3, R, BB, SB
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Wisconsin rallied to force extra innings, but Indiana prevailed 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in eight innings at IU Softball Field. The Badgers hit a pair of home runs in the loss but fall to 22-16 on the season and 2-5 in conference play. Indiana improves to 26-15 and 7-2 in the Big Ten.
Tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, Wisconsin drew back-to-back walks to start the frame, but Indiana starter Morgan Melloh struck out the next two batters before getting Karla Powell to line out to shortstop to end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Breanna Saucedo singled to lead off and moved to second as Ashley Warrum followed with a single of her own. Sara Olson then hit a single to left field, which skipped away from UW left fielder Abby Gregory, letting the winning run cross the plate.
Fast Facts
| • Peace goes 2-3 with double and game-tying 2-run HR
| • Blackshear leads off for first time in career, hits leadoff HR
| • Badgers fall to 0-2 in extra innings in 2011
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Melloh, who entered the game with 328 strikeouts in 217.1 innings, struck out 21 for Indiana. It was the most strikeouts ever recorded by an opposing pitcher against Wisconsin. Only three of the Badgers' 24 outs were made in the field.
Cassandra Darrah suffered the loss for Wisconsin, falling to 12-6 on the year. Darrah battled throughout the game, stranding 14 Indiana runners on base. The Corydon, Iowa, native struck out four, walked four and gave up four runs - three earned - while yielding 12 hits in throwing her team-leading 13th complete game of the year.
Given Melloh's prowess this season, the Badgers needed a way to combat her. So after leading off the first 37 games of the year, Jennifer Krueger dropped to the No. 2 spot in the batting order and Shannel Blackshear took over as the leadoff hitter for the first time in her career.
The strategic move paid off immediately as Blackshear hit her eight home run of the season and just the fourth leadoff home run in school history. The sophomore went the opposite way with a 1-1 pitch, driving it over the wall in right field and spotting UW an early 1-0 lead.
Indiana immediately posed a scoring threat in the first by loading the bases with no one out after a single, walk and hit by pitch. But UW starter Cassandra Darrah worked her way out of the jam unscathed.
Darrah first got Amanda Wagner to hit an infield fly to shortstop then struck out Melloh swinging. The inning ended as Cassie Gogreve grounded out to Blackshear at third.
After stranding two more runners in the second inning, the Hoosiers plated three runs.
Olson and Amanda Wagner led off with back-to-back singles. After a strikeout, Darrah hit Gogreve to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk to Heather Nelson then tied the game before Darrah got the second out on a fielder's choice at home plate. Another bases-loaded walk gave IU the 2-1 lead before Breanna Saucedo lined an RBI single up the middle to make it 3-1.
The fourth and fifth innings passed scoreless, but UW rallied in the sixth inning.
Krueger led off with an infield single, bringing up the tying run in Stephanie Peace. The freshman, who had already doubled in the first inning, worked it to a 3-1 count before crushing a pitch to left center for her fourth home run of the season.
Wisconsin and Indiana close out the two-game series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. (CT), and the game will air live on the Big Ten Network.
