May 1, 2011
• Box Score | Box Score 
2 Michigan 2, Wisconsin 1
Goodman Diamond • Madison, Wis.
| |
| |
 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | | Michigan | 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 12
| 2
| Wisconsin
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 6
| 1
| | | | | | Pitchers
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | W
| Taylor (23-3) | 6.2
| 4
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 11
| | L | Darrah (14-8) | 7.0
| 12
| 2
| 2
| 0
| 8
| | |
| |
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin softball team held a 1-0 lead through four innings against second-ranked Michigan, but the Wolverines (44-4, 12-2) rallied for two runs in the fifth inning to beat the Badgers (26-21, 6-10), 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Goodman Diamond.
Fast Facts
| • Badgers lead 1-0 through first four innings against No. 2 Michigan
| • Darrah strikes out eight, one off career high
| • Powell and Massey each collect two hits
| |
The contest was a true pitchers' duel between Badger freshman Cassandra Darrah and Wolverine senior All-American Jordan Taylor, who came on in relief of starter Stephanie Speierman.
Darrah threw her team-leading 16th complete game of the year as she struck out eight - one off her career high - in seven innings of work, but fell to 14-8 on the year. The Corydon, Iowa, native allowed two earned runs and gave up 12 hits despite walking zero batters.
Opposing Darrah, Taylor came on in relief and pitched the final 6.2 innings for the Wolverines. She gave up just four hits and struck out 11 to improve to 23-3 on the year.
The Badgers struck early by scoring in the first inning, which has ordinarily been a good omen for the team. Wisconsin entered the contest with a 14-5 record when scoring first.
Mary Massei roped a double - her seventh of the year - to left center to start the inning and Jennifer Krueger was hit by a pitch to put the first two runners on. Karla Powell followed with a single to left field, but confusion on the basepaths led Massei to be tagged out after a lengthy rundown.
With runners on second and third and one out, Taylor came on in relief of Speierman. Shannel Blackshear hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give UW its lone run of the game.
Darrah was brilliant through the first four innings, allowing only two runners to reach second base. She got all three outs in the first inning via the strikeout and picked up two more punch-outs in the fourth.
Michigan scored its only runs of the game in the fifth inning.
With one out, Lyndsay Doyle singled through the right side and Bree Evans followed with a single of her own. Stephanie Peace caught a liner at shortstop for the second out, but Alycia Ryan singled back up the middle to tie the game. Amanda Chidester added an RBI single of her own one batter later and the Wolverines had a lead they would not give up.
The Badgers threatened in the bottom of the inning as Whitney Massey singled up the middle for her second hit of the day and took second two batters later on a groundout by Krueger. With Powell batting, Massey was thrown out trying to take third on a pitch that Michigan catcher Caitlin Blanchard didn't handle cleanly.
A fine defensive play in the sixth inning kept it a one-run game as Krueger fielded a grounder in center field and threw out pinch runner Taylor Hasselbach who tried to score from second.
Wisconsin was unable to solve Taylor though as the Badgers had just one hit - a two-out single by Peace in the sixth - in the last two innings.
The Badgers stay in Madison next as they welcome Green Bay to Goodman Diamond for a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m.
