The University of Wisconsin softball team continued to show major improvement in its third weekend of Big Ten play against Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana.
To start the series, the Badgers showcased Maddie Schwartz’s dominance. Schwartz pitched the 11th no-hitter in program history and coasted to a 7-0 victory. What may be more impressive is that she did so on only 61 pitches, avoiding barrels and allowing her defense to perform behind her.
Schwartz also got help from the offense, led by Kayla Konwent and Peyton Bannon, who made her first conference start this past weekend. Konwent doubled and had a home run — she drove in two runs. Bannon was 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and a stolen base.
A five-run fifth inning, plus Konwent’s 2-run home run in the seventh, guided UW to its first win of the series.
Softball: Badgers succeed in 2023 debut at Goodman, capture series against Fighting Illini
Saturday’s storyline was more of the same between the Badgers and the Boilermakers. For the second straight game, Wisconsin won, 7-0.
This time in the circle, Tessa Magmanimo toed the rubber and followed in Schwartz’s footsteps. She navigated through Purdue’s lineup to a complete game shutout. The senior punched out six batters and only allowed four hits.
The Badgers brought out the bats for the second consecutive day as well, with contributions from all parts of the lineup.
Konwent went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in the second match. Bannon and Rylie Crane each chipped in two RBIs for Wisconsin, and Christaana Angelopulos added a home run for the squad. From the first inning on, the Badgers took the lead and never looked back, winning the first two games of the series.
On Sunday, UW was looking for its first sweep of the season. Schwartz was back in the circle for the Badgers, and she continued to display her veteran savviness. The ace picked apart each batter on a young and inexperienced Purdue team.
For six innings, Schwartz did not give up a run, and she mixed in different pitches to draw weak contact from the Purdue bats. Gabi Salo ran into some trouble in the final inning after getting two outs, which led to head coach Yvette Healy re-inserting Schwartz to secure the final out of the game.
Crane scooped up a ground ball at second and got the out at first, sealing the Badgers’ 5-1 win. Ellie Hubbard and Konwent had two hits apiece for Wisconsin and both drove in a run.
The Badgers outscored Purdue 19-1 in their home stadium throughout the weekend, impressing with quality at-bats and flawless pitching against a team sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference.
Wisconsin advances to 7-2 in conference play and 20-10 overall, good enough for third place behind Northwestern (9-1) and Indiana (9-2.) This upcoming week is a valuable one for the team — they get back to Goodman Diamond for six games.
On Tuesday, the Badgers welcome DePaul University for a non-conference matchup. The following day, a make-up doubleheader from earlier in the season takes place against the University of St. Thomas.
Then, from Friday to Sunday, Wisconsin takes on Northwestern in a key series that may end up determining who remains atop the Big Ten standings. Sunday’s game will be televised on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CT.
