MADISON, Wis. – Despite a tough hitting battle, the Wisconsin softball team (23-4 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) dropped its home opener to Nebraska (9-20, 1-3) in extra innings at Goodman Diamond on Friday night.

After giving up a leadoff double in the top of the first inning to Alyvia Simmons, freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Menz snared a line drive from MJ Knighten and doubled off Simmons.

In the bottom half of the inning, The Badgers opened the scoring with a double from senior Chloe Miller into the left-center field gap, scoring junior Kelsey Jenkins to make it a 1-0 UW lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, a squeeze bunt by sophomore Melanie Cross scored pinch-runner sophomore McKenna Heim, who beat a tag on a flip from the Huskers' third baseman to make it 2-0 Badgers.

Nebraska tied the game in the next half-inning on a two-RBI single up the middle from Tristen Edwards to tie the game at 2-2. The Huskers then took their first lead of the game on a RBI double from Kaylan Jablonksi to put the Badgers in a 3-2 hole.

The game continued to swing back and forth in the bottom of the fourth as Miller smacked a two-run dinger, her seventh of the year, to make it 4-3 in Wisconsin's favor.

In the top of the fifth, a Knighten RBI single to right made it a 4-4 game. Neither team would be able to break through again in the sixth and seventh innings, sending the Badgers to their second extra-innings game in less than a week. In the Huskers' half of the eighth inning, back-to-back homeruns would put Nebraska up 7-4. First, Tristen Edwards launched a two-run shot to left field and Kaylan Jablonski quickly followed up with a solo shot of her own.

Notes to Know:
-Miller recorded her 12th double of the season and her seventh home run, leading all players with three RBI in the game.
-Miller has hit a home run in five of the Badgers' tournaments and series.
-Kelsey Jenkins led all Badgers with two runs. Jenkins has extended her hitting streak to 10 games, knocking 14 hits in 10 games.
-The Badgers turned a season-high three double plays.
-Wisconsin falls to 2-2 in extra innings this season.
-Wisconsin left 10 batters on base, one shy of the Badgers' season-high.
-Kaitlyn Menz threw one strikeout and walked two batters, allowing seven runs and 11 hits.
-Menz allowed two home runs all season before Friday, allowing two in just the top of the eighth.
 
Details from the dugout:

On scouting Nebraska coming into this series:
"We know they're physical and they're strong, they know how to win. They're a program that historically, they just do great things. They showed us that fight. We had our chances, which I love. It didn't turn out in our favor today but we had so many opportunities, I really like the way we swung our bats. It was an exciting day."

On what has been clicking for this group so far this year:
"We've been doing a lot of things well, but I think you see in the Big Ten, you just have to do everything well. You can't make a mistake or people will make you pay. Better to get that learning now than in the conference tournament or in the NCAA Tournament. The good news is, we didn't play great but we're still alive. The season is not over and we still have a chance to win the series."

-UW Head Coach Yvette Healy
 
Up next:
Wisconsin continues its series with Nebraska on Saturday with first pitch set for 12 p.m. at Goodman.