(UW ATHLETICS) ARLINGTON, TX – The Wisconsin softball team posted 10 runs in the first inning to sweep the weekend, downing Iowa State for the second time in the Lone Star State with a final score of 11-8.
The Badgers’ (7-2) offense continued to do damage in Sunday’s matinee, racking up 10 hits as a team with four individuals putting together multi-hit performances.
UW’s first five batters reached base to begin the game, as sophomore Kendra Lewis got the scoring started with an RBI double. After a walk turned in by redshirt freshman Jackie Showalter, junior Alivia Bark capitalized with the bases loaded and plated two more.
Showalter and Bark put on a double steal to set up junior Danielle Lucey with runners in scoring position, as the Cottage Grove native earned a sacrifice fly to extend the Badgers’ lead to 4-0. From the bottom of the order, freshman Addison Wery and sophomore Hannah Conger each forced an error on the Cyclones’ defense, as Wisconsin took advantage by scoring twice.
Junior Hilary Blomberg stepped up with the bases loaded in the first frame, blasting the first grand slam of her career to put UW up 10-0. Blomberg tallied four RBIs in her career for the fifth time, tying for second all-time in program history.
Iowa State provided an answer throughout, posting a combined four unanswered runs between the second and third frame to make it a 10-4 ballgame.
Senior Emily Bojan, the team leader in extra base hits with six, clubbed her second home run of the weekend in the third inning. The Chicago native earned her second three-hit performance in as many days, finishing a flawless 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI from the leadoff spot.
The Cyclones wouldn’t go away quietly, as they tacked on three more runs in the fourth and plated one more in the sixth to cut the Badgers’ advantage to three runs.
In the circle, freshman Berritt Herr notched the first save of her collegiate career, working around a hit to slam the door in the final frame.
Batting Cleanup:
- The Badgers’ 10-run first inning is tied for the highest offensive output in the first frame in program history, as the team last posted 10 runs versus San Diego on March 5, 2010.
- UW last scored 10 runs in a single inning in the 2016 season versus Michigan State.
- Wisconsin scored 35 runs over the weekend, marking their highest total in a non-conference weekend tournament since they had 36 in five games at the Kajikawa Classic in 2024.
- Hilary Blomberg smashed the first grand slam of her career and the 32nd in program history. The Verona native earned four RBIs for the fifth time in her career, tied for the second-most in program history.
- Kendra Lewis put together another multi-hit performance, her fourth of the season. Lewis added to her hitting streak in the process, which elevates to nine games.
- Alivia Bark tallied her third multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-2 showing, extending her hitting streak to nine games.
- Emily Bojan posted her second three-hit performance of the weekend, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. It’s the second time in Bojan’s career that she’s finished with three hits in a game.
- Shelby Jacobson tallied her third win of the season, coming on in relief for 2.1 innings.
- Berritt Herr earned the first save of her career.
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