Coming into the weekend, the University of Wisconsin softball team knew that the two series were critical to the Badgers goal of reaching the Big Ten Tournament. UW was unable to capitalize on opportunities and dropped two of three, including a crippling 10-6 loss to Ohio State Sunday afternoon.
UW's game against OSU was delayed for more than two hours Sunday. Maybe for the Badgers' sake, they would have liked the rain to keep coming, as they lost the game that may turn out to be the final nail in the coffin of UW's Big Ten Tournament hopes, after the Badgers' split their series with Penn State.
Eden Brock had a rough go of it in her 12th consecutive start. Brock (17-12) went the distance despite allowing 10 runs on 14 hits.
Brock was quick to refute the possibility that she has worn down over the course of her recent string of outings. During Brock's 12 game start streak, she has thrown six consecutive complete games.
"I think I actually have gotten better in the last few games, even though we lost last night — I threw a fat pitch — and today, I think it had more to do with mental errors than my pitching."
UW head coach Chandelle Schulte defended the coaching staff's decision to leave Brock in the game instead of putting freshman Leah Vanevenhoven in.
"Eden, with the exception of the Penn State home run, has kept the ball in the ballpark," Schulte said. "She may give up multiple hits, but she gives us the opportunity to win.
"Most of hits we could have helped her out on"
UW struck back big in the bottom half of the second. Joey Daniels led the inning off with her fifth double of the year to the gap in left-center. Alexis Garcia followed Daniels with a towering home run down the leftfield line.
The Badgers weren't done there. After a Valyncia Raphael groundout, Kaitlin Reiss hit the team's second double of the inning to right. Lynn Anderson then walked on four pitches, prompting Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis to lift Juarez after just 1 and 2/3 innings of work.
Relief pitcher Courtney Pruner did not fare much better. Athena Vasquez — the first batter to face Pruner — nuked a home run to left field. The three-run shot was Vasquez's second in as many days and closed the book on Juarez, who was charged with four runs on four hits.
"They've always had the power," Schulte said of Garcia and Vasquez. "Their confidence level has gone up a little bit, and they are learning to hit the inside pitch really well. If [pitchers] make a mistake, we're making them pay for it."
Even though the loss hurt, Vasquez could take some solace in the fact her offense came around.
"It's always nice to hit a couple of home runs, so I can take some satisfaction from that," Vasquez said.
Brock nearly escaped a leadoff double by Pruner, but after consecutive fly ball outs, she walked Juarez and then gave up back-to-back RBI singles.
Ohio State broke it open in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits. A leadoff hit again came back to haunt Brock when Chelsea Baker singled home Vanderick, who led off the inning with a single.
UW tried to fight back in its half of the fifth. Hnatyk tripled off the wall in right to lead off the inning and came in to score on a balk by Kim Reeder (15-8), who came on in relief of Pruner to pick up the win. UW's rally was short circuited when Garcia's liner to first base turned into a double play, as Daniels was caught off base.
Ohio State added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a fielder's choice groundout off the bat of Juarez and an RBI single by Reeder. The hit was Reeder's first of the year.
After the loss, Vasquez tried to put into words the feeling of the locker room after a disappointing weekend of play.
"It's really frustrating. You're in the game, and you have a four run lead against Ohio State, and then we just, I don't know," Vasquez said. "It's just hard. It's hard to stomach."
