Wisconsin Softball earns pair of victories in Baltimore | Wisconsin Badgers (2024)

Ashley Steltenpohl

• Box Score 1
• Box Score 2

Game Recap: Softball | March 16, 2024 | Jake Ross

Badgers beat Colgate and UAlbany at UMBC Invite

BALTIMORE, Md. –The Wisconsin softball team(11-14) swept their pair of games at the UMBC Spring Invite today. The Badgers picked up an offense-heavy 5-3 win over Colgate, before winning a 1-0 pitcher's duel against the University of Albany, despite tallying no hits in the game.

GAME ONE

The Badgers earned a wire-to-wire victory facing Colgate for the first time in program history. The offense erupted for ten hits in the game, scoring five runs.

Ava Kuszak led off the game with a double, putting herself in position to come home on a fielder's choice later in the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Catcher Emmy Wells launched a ball over the fence for her seventh home run of the season, giving the Badgers a 2-0 lead.

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Colgate retaliated in the top of the third with an RBI single that scored a baserunner who had reached via error. Starter Shelby Jacobson got out of the inning without letting anymore runners cross the plate.

Wisconsin then capitalized on a Colgate error, when Eden Echevarria hit the ball to the shortstop, whose two-out throwing error allowed two Badgers to score, making the score 4-1.

Fiona Girardot plated the final run for Wisconsin during the sixth inning, with an RBI single that scored Peyton Bannon.

Colgate started to rally in the seventh inning, loading the bases against Jacobson and scoring two runs before Wisconsin made the final out to win the game.

Jacobson went all 7.0 innings, allowing two earned runs, six hits, four walks, and striking out seven. Her record now stands at 2-7.

Batting Cleanup

• Shelby Jacobson's seven strikeouts on the day are a career high, breaking her previous total of six that she had in her last start against UAlbany.
• Four Badgers collected multiple hits; Ava Kuszak, Emmy Wells, Peyton Bannon, and Eden Echevarria. It was the second straight two-hit game for Echevarria.
• Fiona Girardot went 1-for-3 with two RBI, her second straight game with that amount.
• Emmy Wells went 3-for-3 with a home run. It was her first career three-hit game, and her home run was her team-leading seventh of the season.

GAME TWO

Wisconsin's second game was a rematch against UAlbany, who beat the Badgers the previous day, 2-0.

Much like their last game together, neither team could muster much offense. By the start of the fifth inning the score was 0-0, with UAlbany's three hits the only base-knocks for the game.

Wisconsin broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, when Danielle Lucey came in as a pinch-runner after an Emmy Wells walk. Lucey reached second after a sac bunt, before scoring on a throwing error from the UAlbany first baseman trying to get Lucey out at third base.

Wisconsin's starter, Tessa Magnanimo, held the Great Danes at bay, despite Wisconsin still unable to record a hit.

UAlbany managed to get another hit in the bottom of the seventh but could not tie the game. Wisconsin took the 1-0 victory with no hits.

Magnanimo went all seven innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and tying a season-high seven strikeouts.

Batting Cleanup

• Tessa Magnanimo's seven strikeouts tie her season-high, previously reaching that total against Missouri.
• This was Magnanimo's second complete game shutout of the season, and the eighth for Wisconsin as a team.
• Wisconsin was last no-hit against California Baptist in their season opener last year on 2/09/23. CBU won 2-0.

Up Next:The Badgers finish the UMBC Spring invite with a rematch against UMBC tomorrow at 9 AM CT. The game can be watched on Americaeast.tv. Live stats are available on the Badger softball schedule on uwbadgers.com, and live updates will be given on the @badgersoftball Facebook, X, and Instagram pages.