April 7, 2011
• Box Score | Box Score 
| Archived Video 
Wisconsin 5, North Dakota 0
Goodman Diamond • Madison, Wis.
| |
| |
 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | UND
| 0
| 0 | 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2 | 0
| Wisconsin
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
| 0
| 3
| X | 5
| 10 | 0 | | | | | | Pitchers
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | W
| Darrah (11-5) | 6.0
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 7
| | L | Frank (5-7) | 6.0
| 10
| 5
| 4
| 0
| 5
| | |
| |
MADISON, Wis. -- Freshman Cassandra Darrah yielded just two hits as she combined with sophomore Meghan McIntosh to shut out North Dakota (10-23) in game one of a doubleheader on Thursday, 5-0. It was the fewest hits surrendered by the Badgers (18-14) this season and the third shutout thrown.
It was arguably the finest performance of Darrah's young career as she snapped a four-game losing streak. The Corydon, Iowa, native struck out seven, walked none and gave up zero runs before turning the final frame over to McIntosh. After surrendering a leadoff single in the third, Darrah finished by retiring the final 12 batters she faced.
Fast Facts
| • Darrah strikes out seven, walks none in six shutout frames
| • Blackshear's three-run blast provides cushion
| • Fewest hits surrendered by Wisconsin on the season
| |
The Wisconsin offense was potent behind Darrah as eight different batters collected a hit. The Badgers finished with 10 hits overall, the ninth time they've had at least that many in a game this year and the third time it's happened in the last six games.
The Badgers got the scoring started in the second inning.
Shannel Blackshear led off with an infield single to short. Abby Gregory pinch ran for Blackshear and was sacrificed to second base by Michelle Mueller. With Kendall Grimm batting, Gregory was able to take third on a passed ball. Grimm grounded out for the second out, but Whitney Massey came through with the clutch hit. Her single up the middle scored Gregory and gave Darrah all the run support she would need.
After stranding a runner on second in the first inning, North Dakota's only other threat came in the third inning. D Jantzer led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Amber Roth and to third by Cami Bennett, but Darrah once again shut down the threat. This time, she struck out Kayelee Schoeny looking.
Wisconsin gave Darrah a little breathing room in the fourth inning as Mueller reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Grimm then lined a double to the gap in left center. She was thrown out as she rounded second and tried to get back, but Mueller was able to cross the plate safely before Grimm was tagged out.
In the sixth, Blackshear gave the Badgers some insurance runs by cranking her sixth home run of the season to left field. Stephanie Peace led off the inning with a single and Karla Powell followed with one of her own. Blackshear then fell behind 0-2 in the count but took a ball and fouled off two pitches before depositing the ball over the wall in left field.
McIntosh needed only six pitches to end the game in the seventh inning. She got the first two batters to fly out and ground out on the first two pitches before striking out Brittany Baker on four pitches.
