SPORTS
Badgers slam way to 2nd-straight sweep
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by Dave McGrath
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The University of Wisconsin softball team swept its second doubleheader in as many days Tuesday, taking out Loyola-Chicago 4-1 and 10-3 at Goodman Diamond despite not having the services of star senior shortstop Kris Zacher, who aggravated her back in Monday’s doubleheader against North Dakota State.
The Badgers improved their overall record to 17-19 (3-7 Big Ten) in their final tune-up before hitting the road this weekend for four Big Ten games.
Despite a very strong wind blowing out toward the fences, Wisconsin starting pitcher Katie Layne controlled the Ramblers from the opening pitch in game one, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out five. Layne faced more than four batters in an inning only once, coming in the fourth when Loyola manufactured its only run of the game.
Despite Layne’s strong performance, Rambler hurler Katie Schupbach held the Badger offense in check, and the score was tied at 1-1 when Wisconsin came to bat in the fourth. With two outs, freshman Ricci Robben came to the plate with pinch runner Melissa Trainor at first and singled, moving Trainor to second and setting the stage for second baseman Kaitlin Reiss. Reiss, who entered the game with only three hits in 27 at bats this season, came up big for Wisconsin, lacing a single to center field to score Trainor and put the Badgers up 2-1.
“That was a big hit for us,” Wisconsin head coach Karen Gallagher said of Reiss’ RBI single. “She’s got the heart of a lion, and she got up there and made a hit that I think will help her get some confidence and feel better about her game.”
Wisconsin went on to add insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, but Reiss’ RBI proved to be all the run support Layne needed, as she cruised through the last three innings. Layne ended the game with a strike out on a picture-perfect third strike, painting the corner and freezing the batter to put a stamp on the Badgers’ 4-1 victory.
The wind picked up even more before game two and dark skies threatened to rain on the Badgers’ three-game winning streak. Lightning began to pepper the horizon in the bottom of the second inning, and the sky became more and more ominous with each passing minute, prompting the umpires to briefly convene with the two managers before deciding to play on, and the weather turned out not to be a factor.
Wisconsin drew first blood, taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning when freshman Katie Hnatyk looped a single to left field, scoring sophomore center fielder Sam Polito from third base.
Wisconsin again benefited from outstanding pitching, as sophomore Eden Brock breezed through the Rambler lineup, mowing down the first 11 batters in order en route to an effective five-inning performance, giving up only one run on four hits.
While Brock cruised, Loyola starting pitcher Andrea Wise had all sorts of trouble with her control. In the bottom of the third, Wise loaded the bases with no outs on a walk and two hit batsmen. Wise went on to walk three more batters, throw a wild pitch and give up an RBI single to Badger shortstop Athena Vasquez, the only hit of the inning, before finally being replaced by Schupbach. When the inning finally ended, Wisconsin had totaled four runs with only one hit and assumed control of the game, 5-0.
After four innings, the score was 6-1 before Loyola reinserted Wise at pitcher. The Badgers scored two runs in each of the final two innings and coasted to a 10-3 victory. Wise ended the game having pitched four-and-one-third innings, giving up nine runs on eight hits, eight walks, two hit batsmen and a wild pitch.
“That is the first thing we told [the players] tonight, that this team has a lot of walks and that we need to be patient at the plate,” Gallagher said of her team’s discipline at the plate. “We really made them work and pitch themselves out of trouble instead of helping them out.”
Brock won her 12th game of the season, equaling her total from all of last year.
On the field, Wisconsin did not commit an error in either game of the doubleheader, a promising sign for a team that has struggled defensively all year.
“It felt great,” Gallagher said of her team’s defense. “I’m ecstatic that we played great defense and we are capable of doing that. The kids stayed focused, and the infield especially was very quick to react to the ball and make the plays.”
Wisconsin will look to carry the momentum from its four-straight wins on its first road trip in conference play, where UW will try to improve on its 3-7 Big Ten mark.
“We just needed to have fun, and I think it will really help us feel better going in and prepare us to play the game at a high level because that is what we are going to see,” Gallagher said. “These games today were just great for us.”
