The Badger Herald

SPORTS

Injuries to pitchers Olivarez, Vanevenhoven doom Badgers in late innings

JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald file photo

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Also by Michael Bleach:

Seniors set for home finale (May 2, 2008)
UW splits doubleheader with OSU (April 28, 2008)
Badger bats awaken in wins (April 24, 2008)
UW takes on in-state rivals (April 23, 2008)
Wisconsin to face contrasting styles this weekend (April 18, 2008)

by Michael Bleach

Monday, May 5, 2008

A season-high 740 fans attended the season finale, but Wisconsin’s softball team was unable to feed off the vocal crowd. After pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven gave up five runs in the second inning, UW appeared to be emotionally deflated and was never able to muster a rally.

This was in stark contrast to the day before, when the Badgers made several impressive defensive plays and kept Minnesota off the scoreboard until the eleventh frame.

“I think on Saturday we just went out there, had fun and played with our hearts,” sophomore pitcher Letty Olivarez said of her teammates. “It was our final day, it was senior day, and we wanted to play for Joey [Daniels] and Lynn [Anderson]. It just didn’t carry on over to today. We came out quiet and we came out flat, and nobody was there.”

Wisconsin’s softball team shut out border rival Minnesota through the first ten innings of an eleven-inning game Saturday before freshman Kristyn Hansen gave up four runs in the eleventh. Sunday, the Gophers scored 14 runs in the first four innings before the game ended via the “mercy rule” after the fifth inning.

Inconsistent pitching has plagued the Badgers all year long, and it was fitting that UW would end their season on a note like this.

“I think this series clearly sums up our season,” sophomore Letty Olivarez said. “Our whole season has been like this; one day we are great, the next we are awful. I just hope we learn from it for next year. We have to commit. We need to commit to every game and every pitch.”

Vanevenhoven gave up 11 hits and three walks as she was torched for nine earned runs in three innings of work. As has been the case all season, Vanevenhoven received little help from her defense, who committed four errors and botched several other plays. Vanevenhoven leads the conference in losses with 24 on the season, although part of that can be attributed to the league-leading 69 unearned runs that UW has given up.

Wisconsin ran into some bad luck when both of their top pitchers were injured during Saturday’s game. Vanevenhoven was hit in the hand by a line drive, which forced her out of the game for one-third of an inning. In the eleventh inning, a line drive hit Olivarez in the knee, forcing her to leave the game. Olivarez was not available for Sunday’s game, and though Vanevenhoven started, she appeared to still be suffering the effects of Saturday’s injury.

“Clearly the injuries affected us a bit,” Olivarez said. “Leah wasn’t herself today, and I felt extremely bad that I was hurt and couldn’t help the team out. Leah was out there battling, but clearly she was struggling, and it hurt the team that I was unavailable to pitch.”

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Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 11:20pm):

It's not the injuries that doomed the Badgers; this team is doomed every time they take the field with this coaching staff - every negative is highlighted and every positive is diminished. 45 games of mental abuse takes its toll. This situation will never be right. Better to remedy the situation now, than suffer the liklihood of a repeat performance next season. This coach will not be around to see this team succeed; it is only a matter of time before the powers that be decide to put an end to a a bad situation. "A stitch in time, saves nine" - UW can suffer through more exasperation with this coach, or decide to right the listing ship before it sinks forever!

Anonymous (May 6, 2008 @ 6:30am):

I hope Barry gets a copy.

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