Wisconsin Softball vs Missouri in NCAAs

Wisconsin takes on Missouri in the NCAA Regional from Eugene, Oregon

Wisconsin Badger softball takes on the Missouri Tigers in the opening game of the NCAA Regional from sunny Eugene, Oregon.

Top 1st: UW goes down meekly with a strikeout followed by two routine groundouts.

Bottom 1st: Missouri goes walk, single, sacrifice to put two runners in scoring position.  A groundout gets the run home but UW avoids further damage.  1-0 Missouri with the early lead.

Top 2nd: Badgers draw a 2-out walk but can’t do anything more with it.

Bottom 2nd: Two grounds and then a SportsCenter Top 10 nominee from CF Kelly Welsh.  She reads it well off the bat and makes a remarkable catch against the wall robbing Missouri of a HR.  Ball driven to straight away center and Welsh saves a run.  That ball was out.  Deserved a better call by the play-by-play frankly.

https://twitter.com/NCAAsoftball/status/865773394125508608

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Top 3rd: Infield drawn in and Gabby Scherle knocks it over the SS and then sees Missouri does not get the ball in quickly so she takes 2B.  But Scherle steps out of the batter’s box on the swing so instead of a runner on 2B with no outs it’s just an out.  Welsh flies out but Jenkins reaches on a groundball as the 1B can’t handle the throw.  HOMERUN WISCONSIN.  Chloe Miller turns on pitch that catches far too much of the inner half of the plate and drives it well over the fence in right-center.  Catcher set up away but the pitcher badly missed her spot and Miller made her pay.  2-1 Wisconsin.  A strikeout ends the frame but UW takes the lead.

Bottom 3rd: Not a great start, as Kaitlyn Menz issues a 4-pitch walk.  With the infield in, the slap down to 3B is too high/hot for Sara Novak to handle and the Tigers have two on and none out.  Looked like Novak was in a little hurry with a slap hitting lefty sprinting down the line and she didn’t glove it cleanly.  A bunt would make a lot of sense to get both in scoring position with less than two outs.  Another free pass and bases full of Tigers now with nobody out.  A pop-out or strikeout would work nicely.  Menz needs to find her control but quick.  Slow roller to 2B secures an out at 1B but tying run scores.  Wisconsin 2B Miller had no play as the ball pulled her towards the foul line in right so both runners move into scoring position.  Menz induces a soft popout to Novak in foul ground as she looks to wriggle off the hook.  Menz close on the 0-1 pitch but does not get the call.  A walk does not kill you here with 1B open so no need to pipe one.  Welsh makes the catch in CF and that’s the final out.  Wisconsin 2  Missouri 2

Top 4th: Badger 1B Stephanie Lombardo draws a 1-Out walk.  Pinch-runner comes in to put some pressure on the Missouri defense.  As a reminder, in softball a pinch runner does not mean the subbed player is done.  Sharp liner snagged by 3B and UW doubled off.  Inning over.

Bottom 4th: Menz gets a 3-pitch strikeout, changing speeds nicely.  Next batter smokes a ground ball that SS Brooke Wyderski can’t handle and Missouri has a runner on.  Slow roller up 1B line and Lombardo fields and make the tag but it does move the runner to 2B with two outs.  UW tries a throw down to 2B to catch the runner leaking of the base but Miller is a little wild on the throw.  Menz battles back from 3-0 count to run it full.  She induces a grounder to 2B to end the inning.

Next: Wisconsin Football Won-Loss Odds

Top 5th: Badger RF Jordan Little is hit by a pitch and then swipes 2B on a past ball (maybe wild pitch?).  A confusing hand sign (stay? go?) from Scherle didn’t appear to be a factor for Little.  Scherle then bunts her teammate to 3B with just one out.  Welsh up for UW and looking to hit a fly ball or at least a ground ball to the right side to get the run home.  That Missouri P might want to rethink her off-speed pitch.  Or at least locate it.  Tough AB here from Welsh and it’s a 2-2 count.  C saves a wild pitch as that ball was always rising.  Welsh stays on it and drives the payoff pitch into center to bring the run home.  Badgers reclaim the lead.  Liner by Jenkins puts runners on first and second with one out. Missouri huddles up.  The Tigers get the 6-4 putout and Badgers have runners on the corner with two outs.  Wonder if Miller is on the move.  Yup, no play by Missouri.  Two in scoring position and a chance to break this open with two outs.  Wyderski smacks it past a diving SS and Wisconsin up 5-2.  Pitching change for Missouri.  High flyball land just foul. That was somehow close to being run down by the Tigers for the third out and also close to drifting into fair territory which would have scored one more.  Shot down to the hot corner but 3B with some fancy glove work and bullet throw to end the inning.

Through five innings Wisconsin has four hits.  Three hits have accounted for all five Badger runs.  Wisconsin 5 Missouri 2.

Bottom 5th: Menz dealing this frame and mows down the Tigers.  Ball never gets out of the infield and Wisconsin now six outs away from an NCAA win.

Top 6th: Wisconsin sent down in order including two strikeouts.

Bottom 6th: Menz finding her groove now.   Working the corners well.  A trio of ground ball outs and we head to the final frame.  Menz has sent down nine of the last 10 Tigers she’s faced.

Top 7th: Wisconsin draws a two out walk.  Miller makes it hurt continuing her torrid night at the plate.  She goes the opposite way and drives the ball on a hop to the fence in left.  Jenkins hustles home to extend the Badger lead to 6-2.  It’s a long way back now for Missouri especially given how Menz is pitching.  Wyderski blasts a double into the gap in left-center and UW adds another run.   Belt high over the heart of the plate probably is not what Missouri wanted there.  Wisconsin 7 Missouri 2.  Tigers make a pitching change.  One pitch and low throw to 1B dug out.  Wisconsin tacks on two though and put Missouri to the sword.

Bottom 7th:  A flyout and ground out and Missouri down to its last out.  A strikeout secures the win.

SUMMARY

Probably not an coincidence that the Tigers had its leadoff hitter on just twice.  Both times the runner came around to score.  Menz allowed just three hits and didn’t help her cause with an equal number of free passes.  Despite that, she only allowed two runs and three hits.  She closed the game by setting down 11 of the last 12 hitters she faced.

The top three hitters in the Wisconsin lineup (Jenkins, Miller, Wyderski) combine to go 5-11, with six RBIs, and five runs scored.  Hitters #4-8 (Novak, Lombardo, Cross, Little, Scherle) combined to go 0-12 with two walks and one run scored.  But the production at the top of the order carried the offense today.

Wisconsin takes on the winner of Oregon-UIC on Saturday at 4 p.m. CST.