The University of Wisconsin softball team’s 13 game winning streak came to an end over the weekend, but the Badgers still came away with the 2-1 series win in Evanston against Northwestern.
The Badgers opened Big Ten play with against the Wildcats on Friday as Kaitlyn Menz took the mound for her 16th start of the season. Menz gave up four runs in seven innings while striking out five batters.
Softball: Freshman pitcher standout, Kaitlyn Menz, brings success to veteran team
The young pitcher earned her 13th win of the year. The Badgers’ red hot bats continued their dominance in support, as they drove in 14 runs on only 11 hits. Right-fielder Jordan Little had a career day at the plate, hitting 2 home runs and driving in 7. Little entered the game with only two RBIs on the season.
Senior Chloe Miller extended her hitting streak to 13 games with a hit in the 4th inning.
Saturday, the Badgers took on the Wildcats again. Northwestern started the game off with two runs in the first inning. The Badgers came back with three runs in the 3rd inning and had the lead, but they did not hold on for long.
Northwestern tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd, and the game would go into extra innings. The Wildcats would walk off on a solo shot to hand the Badgers their first loss in 13 games.
Senior Kristen Stevens was on the mound for the Badgers, giving up five runs in the game, but only two earned runs. Stevens suffered her first loss of the season with the walk-off Saturday.
Softball: Badgers fly into Big Ten schedule riding 11-game winning streak
On Sunday, however, Wisconsin came back with a vengeance as they tallied seven runs against the Wildcats. Sophomore Melanie Cross had her fourth home run of the season, and the Badgers scored five runs in the 7th inning to put the game away.
Shortstop Brooke Wyderski also homered, sending in three runs in the 7th. Menz earned her 14th win of the year, pitching seven innings of one-run ball.
The Badgers will come home to take on Nebraska this weekend at Goodman Diamond in Madison. Wisconsin has yet to play a game at home this year, and now open a six-game homestand against the Cornhuskers and Hawkeyes over the next two weeks.
The Badgers will open the series as one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, while the struggling Cornhuskers have had a rocky start to the year. They will battle it out in the series opener on Friday at 4 p.m. CT.
