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I’d like to start this post off by apologizing for our lack of coverage of the softball team this season. It just kinda slipped through the cracks for us and that’s my bad. Anyways, the Wisconsin Badgers (18-22 overall) softball team ended their season on Sunday with a tough 7-6 loss to the Purdue Boilermakers (18-26 overall).
The #Badgers fought till the very end but fall to Purdue in a close one!
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) May 16, 2021
We would like to thank all our fans for your support this season!#Badgers | #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/y9UMbleBow
The Boilermakers also took the season-ending series three games to one over UW, winning the final three games of the season. A early-season 10 game losing streak kinda put the nail in the coffin of Wisconsin’s NCAA Tournament hopes before they could really get going. Big Ten champion Michigan, along with Northwestern and Minnesota, will be representing the conference in the postseason.
On Sunday afternoon at Goodman Diamond, the Badgers mounted a late comeback but still came up one run short against Purdue. Fiona Girardot led Wisconsin’s offense, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. She was a homer short of hitting for the cycle too. In the bottom of the seventh, Megan Donahue poked a single the opposite way to knock in two runs (she had three RBI on the day) but the Badgers couldn’t bring Donahue around to score and tie the game.
B7| Megan Donahue is CLUTCH. Donahue goes opposite field to drive in two runs. #Badgers only down 1...
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) May 16, 2021
PUR 7
WIS 6 pic.twitter.com/gxS0Df8K9Y
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Badgers honored Lauren Foster, Hailey Hestskin, Mya Kneutson (Team Manager) as part of the 2021 graduating class.
On the season, Girardot led the team’s offense, slashing .324/.462/.533, while scoring 20 runs and knocking in 16. Donahue led the team in dingers, with six, and RBI, with 25. Freshman Peyton Bannon scored 27 runs on the year to lead the team and she had nine stolen bases on 10 attempts.
Maddie Schwartz ended the season at 11-11 on the bump, pitching 14 complete games and recording four shutouts. She had a 2.23 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 156.2 innings pitched. She whiffed 111 batters and only had 28 walks on the year.
With Wisconsin only losing two players from this year’s team, they should be able to build on this season and be competitive for a postseason berth next spring.