(UW ATHLETICS) UNIVERISTY PARK, PA After battling through inclement weather throughout the day, the Wisconsin softball team produced a late comeback and tallied its first Big Ten win of the year—defeating Penn State on the road, 6-5.
Sophomore Kaylie Whidden came up clutch, as the right-handed hitter provided a RBI sacrifice fly in the seventh to break the 5-5 tie. It proved to be difference, as senior Shelby Jacobson escaped a jam with the help of a double play to earn her fifth win of the season, a new career-best.
The Badgers’ (15-10, 1-3 B1G) offense broke through in the second inning, as the bottom of the order set the table for senior Emily Bojan and junior Hilary Blomberg. The two upperclassmen each drove in a run with a single, putting UW up 2-0 heading into the third inning.
The Nittay Lions (19-10, 0-4 B1G) responded with four runs in the bottom half of the third with the help of a pair of two-run blasts, capped off by Allison Oneacre’s 11th home run of the year.
Sophomore Kendra Lewis came up clutch in the fourth, barreling her sixth double of the season to cut the deficit to one—making it a 3-4 ballgame.
Wisconsin went on tally a run in each of the final four innings, including Blomberg’s eighth home run of the season, a team-high. The Verona native has racked up 27 home runs in her career, good for the fifth-most all-time in program history.
Whidden’s sacrifice fly rounded out the scoring for UW, as the Monument, Colorado, native put together the first multi-RBI game of her career—plating a pair to power the Badgers to a victory.
Jacobson came on for the final 2.2 innings and kept the Nittany Lions quiet on the offensive end, as junior Alivia Bark spun the Badgers’ second double play of the game to end it.
Batting Cleanup:
- The Badgers recorded double-digit hits for the 14th time this season.
- UW’s defense turned a pair of double plays in Friday’s series opener.
- Emily Bojan has reached base in every game this season, extending her on-base streak to 25 games. The Chicago native is tied with Joey Daniels (2008) for the third-longest streak in program history.
- Kaylie Whidden barreled the first extra base hit of her career, driving in a run with a double in the fifth. The infielder racked up the first multi-RBI game of her career as well—plating the game-winning run in the seventh inning.
- Hilary Blomberg blasted her eighth HR of the season and the 27th of her career. The Verona native tallied three hits for the second consecutive game, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
- Shelby Jacobson earned her fifth win of the year, a new career-best for the right-hander in a single season. The senior twirled 2.2 scoreless innings.
- Danielle Lucey notched her second outfield assist of the season, a team-high. The junior finished 1-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored as well.
