(UW ATHLETICS) COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Wisconsin softball team secured a spot in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals after outlasting No. 11 Oregon, racking up their first ranked win since 2023 in an entertaining 11-9 victory.
The Badgers (32-18) launched four home runs on the offensive end to power past the Ducks (40-12), scoring in six of the seven innings to take down the No. 2 seed.
Redshirt freshman Jaclyn Showalter continued to lead the way from the middle of the order, going 2-for-4 with a solo shot—becoming just the third Badger in program history to hit two or more home runs in the Big Ten Tournament. Sophomore Kaylie Whidden joined Showalter, racking up a career-best three hits.
It started in the first frame, as Wisconsin plated four runs to take an early advantage. Junior Hilary Blomberg got things started with her 15th home run of the year—launching a solo bomb to deep centerfield. The Verona, Wis. native is now tied with Kayla Konwent (2019) for most home runs in a single season at 15.
After a couple of Badgers reached base, Whidden stepped up and barreled a double to the gap—extending the lead to 3-0. She came around to score on a sacrifice fly from junior Danielle Lucey.
Oregon was quick to respond behind a three-run homer from Stefani Ma’ake, cutting the deficit to 4-3. The Ducks went on to take their first lead of the game in the second—plating two more runs.
UW scored three unanswered over the next two frames, as freshman Addison Wery snagged the lead back with an RBI base knock in a pinch hitter role—making it 6-5 after three innings of play.
Senior Emily Bojan added to the lead with her seventh home run of the season, marking her second in her last four games. Oregon once again retaliated, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Badgers tied it up quickly in the fifth, as sophomore Hannah Conger continued to stay hot after a strong showing last night—flipping a single to the opposite field to knot the game up at 8-8.
From there, freshman Berritt Herr came on and silenced the Ducks’ bats over three innings of action. The Ashwaubenon, Wis. native held Oregon scoreless in the fifth and sixth inning—allowing UW’s offense to take advantage.
Junior Alivia Bark did so in the sixth inning, floating a sacrifice fly to the outfield to plate sophomore Kendra Lewis. In the seventh, Conger kicked things off with Wisconsin’s fourth solo home run of the game. Lewis delivered the final insurance run for UW, capping off a 2-for-4 showing with an RBI base hit with two outs.
After allowing a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, Herr went on to record the final three outs—earning her 11th win of the year. The right-hander struck out three batters and walked none, scattering one hit to punch Wisconsin’s ticket to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.
Batting Cleanup:
- Wisconsin secured its first win over Oregon in program history, dropping the previous 10 matchups.
- The Badgers punched their ticket to the Big Ten Semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons—improving their record to 15-15 in the Big Ten Tournament.
- In the previous 10 matchups against Oregon, Wisconsin combined for just 12 runs. On Thursday night, the Badgers finished with 11 as a unit.
- UW earned its first win over a ranked opponent since the 2024 season, where they defeated No. 20 Utah, 4-2. Wisconsin’s win over No. 11 Oregon is the highest ranked opponent they have defeated since the 2023 season against No. 9 Alabama, earning a 7-6 victory.
- UW notched 15 or more hits for the second time this season, last turning in 17 against Rutgers in the series opener last weekend.
- Wisconsin blasted four home runs in its win over Oregon, tied for the most they’ve produced all year. UW last hit four home runs in a game against Rutgers, doing so for just the second time this season.
- The Badgers tallied seven earned runs against Oregon’s ace in Lyndsey Grein, good for the most she has allowed in a single outing this season. Grein entered Thursday’s contest with a record of 23-5 and an ERA of 2.47.
- Hilary Blomberg hit her 15th home run of the season, becoming just the second Badger in program history to hit 15 home runs in a single season—joining Kayla Konwent, who did so in 2019.
- Jaclyn Showalter broke the program record for most home runs turned in by a freshman, launching her 13th of the year. The Hartland, Wis. native surpassed Chloe Miller’s (2014) freshman record of 12. Showalter has hit two home runs at the Big Ten Tournament, becoming just the third Badger to launch two or more in a tournament run.
- Berritt Herr notched her 11th win of the year in a relief role, allowing just one run on one hit in three innings of work. The Ashwaubenon, Wis. native’s 11 victories are tied with Katie Layne (2002) for the sixth-most turned in by a freshman in program history.
- Kaylie Whidden racked up a career-best three hits versus the Ducks, tallying a pair of RBI and a double in the victory.
- Emily Bojan blasted her seventh home run of the season and her second in her last four games.
- Kendra Lewis came up clutch in all facets of the game for UW, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Defensively, Lewis made a diving catch in the sixth inning.
- Alivia Bark finished a flawless 2-for-2 with an RBI, providing a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning that gave the Badgers the 9-8 lead.
- Hannah Conger earned two hits for the second consecutive night and for the third time in her last four games, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
- Addison Wery clutched up in a pinch hitter appearance, going 1-for-1 with an RBI single.
Up Next: The Badgers will get set for the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals Friday evening, as they await the winner of No. 11 Penn State and No. 3 UCLA. First pitch is set for approximately 6:30 p.m. CT in College Park, as the game will get underway 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first semifinal between No. 4 Indiana and No. 1 Nebraska.
Comments