The final home games of the Badger softball season ended with the Badgers splitting games with the UW-Green Bay Phoenix. After easily winning the first game 7-3, the tables turned and Green Bay defeated the Badgers 4-3 in the second.
The Badgers came out strong in the first game, starting with a two-run homer by sophomore Anastasia Miller in the second inning. Catcher Boo Gillette then knocked in Natalie Phillips with a drive to left field.
“In the first game we really attacked the ball and came out really aggressive,” Gillette said.
The Badgers continued their hitting streak into the third inning when Emily Friedman walked and took advantage of errors made by the Phoenix, advancing her to second and eventually leading her to score the only run in the third.
The success of the first game was due mostly to the outstanding pitching of senior Andrea Kirchberg, who did not give up a single hit until the fifth inning. In the fifth the Phoenix managed three runs. After the brief lapse in play by the Badgers, they held out to finish the game, giving up no more hits and earning another run in the sixth, again by the strategic base running of Friedman, who was hit home by Meghann Reiss’ single.
The tables turned in the second game. After three hitless innings by both teams, UW-Green Bay broke out in the fourth with three hits. The Phoenix scored when Stephanie Hansen drilled one to right field, advancing Amber Techlin home. Green Bay’s hitting streak continued in the fifth, when the Phoenix took advantage of the Badgers’ tired defense. Pitcher Katie Layne walked Rebekah Oestreich, then gave up a single to Connie Gavin and a double to Amber Techlin. Alyssa Rostkowski singled to center, knocking in Techlin and Gavin.
Rostowski scored on a single hit to right field by Hansen. The outlook was dreary for the Badgers, but they refused to go out quietly. In the bottom of the fifth, Miller scored on a wild pitch by Green Bay’s Stephanie Hansen. After bringing back Andrea Kirchberg to pitch, the Badgers managed to hold the Phoenix in the sixth and seventh innings, giving up no hits.
In the seventh with two outs and Meghann Reiss on second, Boo Gillette drilled one over the center-field wall for her fourth home run of the season. The Badgers were suddenly in the ball game with a score of 4-3. Unfortunately, it was too late. Kaitlin Reiss flied out to center on the next pitch and the last home game of the season ended with a Badger loss to UW-Green Bay.
“We just stooped to their level on the second game; we didn’t play our game,” Gillette said. “We weren’t swinging at the right pitches like we were in the first game.
The loss was even harder to take after the news that the Badgers would not receive a NCAA tournament bid this season. Still, the Badgers hope to finish out the season on a high note at Minnesota this weekend. “We’re just going to put it all out on the line,” Gillette said. “We’re bummed about not getting the NCAA bid, so we want to go out there and really show them something.” Head coach Karen Gallagher agreed: “We want to win two ball games this weekend, have a good solid end to our season, and send a message to the Big Ten.”
