On a chilly Wednesday afternoon at Goodman Diamond, the University of Wisconsin softball team was swept by the Northern Iowa Panthers in a non-conference match-up of teams headed in opposite directions.
The Panthers boast a 26-13 record after sweeping the doubleheader versus the Badgers, and have earned an 8-5 record in the Mountain Valley Conference. In contrast, the Badgers, who have struggled to find an identity with both the pitching and offensive aspects to the game, have stumbled to a record of 12-26 after Wednesday’s series.
The first game saw Panthers star pitcher Jen Larsen, toss a four-hit shutout performance. The game, which resulted in Northern Iowa mercy ruling Wisconsin 9-0 in five innings, improved her record to 9-5 and lowered her ERA to 1.70.
Leah Vanevenhoven started the game for the Badgers, but was replaced when she couldn’t get out of the fourth inning. It was a leadoff triple, followed by a run-scoring wild pitch that ultimately ended her day in the circle.
Vanevenhoven was replaced by backup reliever Kristyn Hansen, who struggled mightily with her command upon entering in the fourth. After three doubles, two passed balls, and one walk, the game effectively was over as the Panthers had a commanding 7-0 lead.
Wisconsin mustered its only serious threat in the bottom half of the fourth. Freshman third baseman Karla Powell lined a single and then after a strikeout, Alexis Garcia advanced Powell with a single that barely made it through the hole between second and short.
With a runner in scoring position, Theresa Boruta hit a hard shot down the left field line that got under the third baseman’s glove, but was snagged by Panther shortstop Mackenzie Daigh. With her momentum carrying her to the right, she simply tagged third for the force out to diffuse any hope the Badgers had of coming back.
“There was a lack of performance on all facets,” Boruta said. “You have to bring all aspects of the game — defense, offense and pitching — and if you know one doesn’t come, you know the other two kind of pick you up but if we’re kind of missing two, it’s going to be a problem.”
Four innings into the second game, the Badgers and the Panthers were locked into a pitchers duel, as both pitchers were impressive.
Through the first three innings, junior Letty Olivarez sliced through the Panther lineup accumulating seven strikeouts and allowing one infield single. These same Panthers scored nine runs along with 13 hits in the first game of the series.
Unfortunately, the Badger offense didn’t fare much better as they only could come up with one hit throughout the entire game. In the fifth, the Panthers finally broke through when catcher Kelly Papesh crushed a no doubt two-run home run to left field.
In the top of the 6th, Olivarez dug herself into even more of a hole by throwing a wild pitch, hitting a batsman, and walking one more to increase the deficit to 5-0.
Northern Iowa was just pouring salt in the wound when Daigh hit a three-run homer in the top of the 7th to cap off the day.
Although the scoreboard doesn’t indicate it, Olivarez did pitch well, striking out nine after seven innings of work. The second and third time through the lineup, however, the Panthers began changing their approach to Olivarez.
“My rise ball was working well and I just had them chasing a lot,” Olivarez said. “I think they adjusted well earlier in the count.”
Following the disappointing doubleheader sweep, the Badgers will travel to Penn State this weekend to take on the Nittany Lions. If they hope to leave on a high note, they will certainly need to adjust their style of play.
“We have to go out there with a better attitude and just kind of like there’s nothing to lose obviously at this point, so just go big or go home,” Boruta said.
