The University of Wisconsin softball team had a tough beginning to their March. The team dropped four out of the five games in the Utah Tech Invitational — earning their sole win in the second game of a Friday doubleheader.
The weekend started just before noon on the first day of March. The Badgers faced the Utah Tech Trailblazers for game one of a doubleheader. Graduate student Tessa Magnanimo would be in the circle for UW — coming off a complete game win against the Utah Utes a week prior.
The Badgers struck first, pushing one run across in the opening inning. After the Trailblazers tied it up in the second, sophomore Ava Kuszak sent a knee-high pitch from senior Tyler Denhart to straight away center for a solo home run in the fifth inning. The Badgers would add two more that inning and another in the top of the sixth — giving them a 5-2 lead with two innings left to play.
But the Trailblazers wouldn’t go down easy. They scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth before sophomore Shelby Jacobson came in for Magnanimo — working out of the jam. UW took a 5-4 lead into the final inning, but Jacobson wasn’t able to close the door on Utah Tech. Trailblazers’ sophomore Sadie Gardner drove an opposite field single for a walk-off winner.
UW would rebound nicely in the second game thanks to a pitching gem from Gabi Salo. The senior from Michigan threw a three-hit, eight strikeout complete game shutout, earning her fifth win of the season. Thanks to Salo’s dominance — and a 3-run blast from junior Emmy Wells — UW won the latter half of the doubleheader with a 4-0 final score.
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The next day, the Badgers suited up for another doubleheader against a Utah squad they beat 4-2 Feb. 24. Salo would enter the circle once again, facing senior Utes lefty Sarah Ladd. The two pitchers kept the game scoreless for two innings, until a Skylar Sirdashney error at third base allowed the first run. The Utes added two more for a three-run third inning.
Utah made it 5-0 in the fifth on another uncharacteristic Sirdashney error. The game seemed to be slipping away until Kuszak breathed life into the Badgers with a 3-run bomb, her second home run in as many days. But the Badgers were running out of out — trailing 6-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The team rallied in that sixth inning, scoring one run on a Sirdashney single and two more on a wild pitch and passed ball, clawing their way back into the game. The game was tied 6-6 going into the seventh, and it would stay that way after three straight strikeouts from Salo — pushing it to extras.
After tying the game at seven in the eighth inning, the Badgers weren’t able to answer in the ninth, falling just short and dropping the opening game against the Utes, 9-8. Salo pitched all nine innings, throwing a staggering 146 pitches — less than twenty-four hours after throwing 118 against Utah Tech.
The final two games were also against Utah — one coming later that Saturday and another early Sunday. UW wasn’t able to make up for the two tough losses, dropping both games 6-2 and 12-1, respectively.
UW looks to bounce back next weekend with five more games at the UMBC Spring Invite in Maryland before they face their Big Ten opponents for the first time later this month.
