CLEARWATER, Fla. – The 20th-ranked Wisconsin softball team moved up to 20-3 on the season after a 2-0 shutout of Central Michigan and a 4-1 win over Furman Saturday afternoon at the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreation Showcase.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
For the second-straight day, junior
Kayla Konwent smacked a home run over the fence in UW's opening at bat. Wisconsin used that early 1-0 run to carry them to victory over CMU in its first game of the day.
The Badgers added to their lead in the top of the third inning thanks to three singles in a row. Konwent got the party started with a base hit through the left side that was followed by a
Taylor Johnson single up the middle. Senior
Melanie Cross scored
Tyra Turner via the third single of the inning for a 2-0 advantage that would carry UW through the end of the game.
Junior
Kaitlyn Menz earned her first shutout of the season, pitching all seven innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
FURMAN
In game two, it was Johnson who opened up the scoring with a solo homer. She went yard with two outs in the third to make it a 1-0 game.
Junior
Jordan Little had herself a game, starting with a massive triple right center to leadoff the bottom of the fifth inning. She scored in the next at bat when sophomore
Lauren Foster put down a perfectly placed bunt.
Wisconsin's final two runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning to help improve its tournament record to 3-1. Leadoff batter Konwent reached on an error, putting Badgers on first and second with no outs after Cross notched a base hit.
With runners on the corners, senior
Kelly Welsh scored a runner with a sacrifice bunt before Little singled for the second RBI of the inning.
Furman was able to add an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning, but its comeback fell short, giving the Badgers their 20th win of 2019.
Sophomore
Haley Hestekin pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts, no walks and no extra-base hits.
Batting clean-up: Four notes to know
- Konwent hit a leadoff homer for the second day in a row. The Badgers have hit 28 home runs this season while only allowing their opponents to hit six.
- Hestekin has five or more strikeouts in five games this season.
- Konwent led her team with three hits on the day.
- Johnson's home run was her fourth of the season and the 12th of her career.
On deck
The Badgers wrap up their weekend tomorrow morning with an 8 a.m. (CT) tilt with Villanova.
