At first glance, Wisconsin’s softball game today against Loyola-Chicago looks to be a joke. A prominent Big Ten team versus a little-known Horizon League squad. However, the catch is that this is an important regional game for both teams as they look to the post-season.
The Badgers (24-14 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) come into this match-up fresh off a strong Big Ten road trip.
“I was very pleased with our performance, we had a very good weekend,” head coach Karen Gallagher said. “I think whenever you have a road trip against teams like Michigan and Michigan State? a highly ranked team and a very good Big Ten program, and you take three out of four, you have to feel good about it, especially after the weekend before.”
Friday and Saturday UW faced a competitive Michigan State team, and was able to sweep the Spartans, 1-0 and 2-1.
The first game was a defensive battle that featured only eight hits and one run from both teams combined. Sheena Padovan scored the game-winning run off a single from senior Kerry Hagen. Pitching for the Badgers was Andrea Kirchberg, who pitched her 31st career shutout.
Saturday’s game featured a little more offense right off the bat as Anna Jones blasted a two-run double in the first inning. The Spartans also scored their only run in the first inning.
The next day the Badgers headed to Ann Arbor for a doubleheader against No.12 Michigan. UW started out the day strong, posting a 2-0 win after a two-run homer from freshman shortstop Kristin Zacker.
“It was a big win for us, a well-played game and a complete game that we have been striving for, our kids really stepped up and played, and the focus level was awesome and exceptional, and we need that all the time,” Gallagher said.
The team ran out of firepower, though, losing 4-0 in the second game.
“You look at what we have done prior to the Big Ten, and we have played teams that have actually been ranked higher,” Gallagher said. “Our kids are capable of beating Michigan twice. We could have done it twice, we just couldn’t get any hits for Andrea that second game and made some errors that have been plaguing us lately.”
After such an exciting Big Ten weekend, the team knows it must turn its focus to an important regional game. Loyola-Chicago, (13-16, 4-0) who plays in the Horizon League, is coming off an impressive 2001 season. The team won the Horizon League title and finished with a 20-23 overall record.
However, after last year’s success, the team lost four out of nine starters and seems to be struggling to replace them. The team will come to Madison after two wins against Detroit April 13.
Senior third baseman Sue Stanley leads the team offensively with a .311 batting average and a team high 23 hits. Freshman outfielder Andrea Wise is hitting .310 and sophomore shortstop Natalie Martin leads the team in RBIs with 11.
With 79 innings pitched, Sarah Smith leads the Rambler pitching staff. Her ERA is 2.57, and she brings a 4-9 record.
“They are a scrappy team and they come and play hard against bigger programs,” Coach Gallagher said. “We don’t take them lightly; they are a regional game for us. We need to do well from here on out; it isn’t only about the Big Ten, it’s about where we want to fall in our region.”
