It was a collection of harsh gusting winds, mental lapses and poor play that lead to Wisconsin’s fall to 12- 30 while getting swept by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The Badgers came into the doubleheader on a six-game losing streak while the Irish were playing some of their best ball of the season with four consecutive victories.

The miscues began to accumulate late in the first game with the Irish clinging to a 1-0 lead. With a runner on first, third baseman Theresa Boruta fielded a tough shot, threw to first where, according to head coach Chandelle Schulte, first baseman Alexis Garcia was supposed to be covering. Unfortunately, both Garcia and second baseman Livi Abney had converged on the base, and neither one of them caught Boruta’s throw, letting the ball into right field, and allowing the runners to advance to second and third.

“That was unacceptable — on a slapper the first baseman always plays, you know there’s miscommunication, but there shouldn’t have been, there’s no gray area,” Schulte said.

Following a walk, and a passed ball — each with the bases loaded — and another single up the middle, the Irish had expanded their lead to 4-0.

With runners on first and third, the Badgers’ inexperience became evident. Trying to force a throw, the Irish base runner jogged to second, but Badger catcher Dana Rasmussen didn’t realize it, threw it late to Abney, who wasn’t within 10 feet of the bag.

“Dana’s a first-year catcher, so she’s going to make mistakes,” Schulte said. “But I want to have their backs — you know they’re doing what we’re asking them to do, they’re out of position, she didn’t even look at the runner.”

Abney tossed the ball to the shortstop Katie Soderberg, even though the Irish runner was already safely standing on the bag.

After another walk loaded the bases, a fly ball to center fielder Jen Krueger — which initially looked like it would be a grand slam — got tangled up in the wind and caused Krueger to misjudge the ball letting in another run.

“It was pretty tough. I just don’t think I’ve ever played in wind like that before, I thought the ball was over and then all of the sudden boom,” Krueger said. “I have to make adjustments.”

Things got even stranger in the second game between the Badgers and the Fighting Irish.

In the top of the sixth, with the Irish up 1-0 and a runner on second, an Irish batter sent a high fly ball to the right field warning track where swirling winds took over once again and caused Letty Olivarez to misplay the ball.

“[The wind] shifts a lot — I obviously don’t get a lot of time out there, but it’s not an excuse,” Olivarez said.

The batter advanced to third while the second run scored.

“The wind was really tough,” Schulte said. “I have expectations that she should be able to make those plays but that was pretty tough.”

After an inspiring half inning led by the catalyst of the lineup Jen Krueger, the Badgers managed to pull even and tie the game up at 2.

In the top of the seventh, the Irish started a runner on first in an effort to manufacture runs by stealing second. Badger catcher Dana Rasmussen caught the ball, transitioned quickly into her throwing motion and flung the ball directly into Badger pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven’s kidney area.

Thankfully, she was OK, but the miscue helped the Irish gain a 4-2 advantage, of which they wouldn’t relinquish.

On the day, three errors, four passed balls and a wild pitch contributed to both of the Badgers’ losses.

“It’s a 10 — it’s very frustrating,” Schulte said of how difficult the loss was.