BTN.com staff, April 14, 2012

Big Ten spring football games weren?t the only events affected by the inclement weather across Big Ten country Saturday. A fair share of baseball and softball games were postponed, as well. See Saturday?s softball roundup, courtesy of BigTen.org in this post.

Wisconsin 8, Illinois 0

URBANA, Ill. — Timely hits, strong pitching and errorless defense led the Wisconsin softball team to an 8-0 win over Illinois Saturday night. The win was the ninth-straight for the Badgers, setting a school record for most consecutive wins. Wisconsin scored two runs in the third inning, two in the fifth and four in the seventh to improve to 23-12 on the season (7-3 Big Ten). Despite recording six hits, Illinois was unable to find its way past third base, falling to 17-19 on the season (2-8 Big Ten). Wisconsin and Illinois will continue Big Ten play on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at Noon. RECAP

Nebraska 7, Iowa 4 (Game 1); Iowa 7, Nebraska 6 (Game 2)
Game 1: The Nebraska softball team scored six runs over the fourth and fifth innings and held off a late Iowa rally to capture a 7-4 victory in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Bob Pearl Field. Senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann earned the win in relief to win her fifth straight decision and improve to 18-11 on the year. Hagemann worked the final 4.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), on five hits, while striking out eight and walking four. Sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards earned the start and allowed one run on two hits in 3.0 innings. Offensively, senior Nikki Haget went 2-for-4 with a season-high two RBIs. Tatum Edwards also had two hits for the Huskers. RECAP
Game 2: Freshman Melanie Gladden's walk off RBI single down the left field line lifted the University of Iowa softball team to a Saturday doubleheader split against Nebraska at Pearl Field. The Hawkeyes dropped the opening game to the Huskers, 7-4, before scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 7-6 win in the night cap. Trailing 6-5 heading into its final at-bat, the Hawkeyes put together a seventh inning rally. Senior Katie Keim walked to lead off the frame before senior Liz Watkins followed with a double into the right centerfield gap. After junior Bradi Wall was hit by a pitch to load the bases, sophomore Brianna Luna drew a walk to even the tally at six. Gladden then laced the first pitch she saw down the left field line to plate pinch runner Sydney Reynolds and give the Hawkeyes the walk off victory. RECAP

Michigan 8, Michigan State 0
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Powered by an eight-run fifth inning, the No. 20-ranked University of Michigan softball team shut out Michigan State, 8-0 in five innings, on Saturday afternoon (April 14) at Secchia Field. Freshman LHP Haylie Wagner got the shutout win in 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits with no walks and two strikeouts. The Michigan offense totaled eight hits on the afternoon, led by a two-hit performance from senior centerfielder Bree Evans as six different Wolverines tallied a hit in the contest. Freshman catcher Lauren Sweet went 1-for-3 with three runs batted in on a home run and junior shortstop Amy Knapp was 1-for-3 with two RBI. The Maize and Blue strung together an eight-run fifth inning, scoring six of the runs with two outs. RECAP

Minnesota 10, Northwestern 2 (Game 1); Northwestern 8, Minnesota 0 (Game 2)
Game 1: Behind an Erica Meyer grand slam in the fourth, the Golden Gophers paired back-to-back four-run innings en route to their 10-2 five-inning victory over Northwestern. Shutdown pitcher Sara Moulton backed up the potent Maroon and Gold offense as she allowed only two hits in the contest. The Gophers' eight-run rule triumph is their ninth of the year, which is the second most for a single season behind 1999 when the Maroon and Gold had 10. RECAP
Game 2: Junior Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) fired a three-hit shutout — her first of the season — to make an eight-run outburst stand up in a run-rule shortened, 8-0 (6), Northwestern win over Minnesota Saturday in the second game of a Big Ten doubleheader. Lamberth's blank sheet was the second of her career and the first since she shut out Northern Colorado on March 21, 2010. She surrendered three hits and walked a pair with three strikeouts. RECAP

Indiana 12, Penn State 6 (Game 1); Penn State 5, Indiana 2 (Game 2)
Game 1: The Hoosiers (21-18, 5-5 Big Ten) were able to take advantage of 13 walks issued by Penn State (11-23, 3-7 Big Ten) pitchers and broke the game open with five runs in the sixth inning on their way to a 12-6 win at Beard Field on the Campus of Penn State University. Shelby Gogreve had two hits, including her first career home run, and two RBI while Samanth Berenter's two-run double was the big hit in the game for Indiana. Brianna Meyer drew four walks and scored two runs while Amanda Wagner was issued three free passes and drove in three runs. RECAP
Game 2: Penn State softball (12-23, 4-7 Big Ten) won the second game of a Big Ten doubleheader, 5-2, over Indiana (21-19, 5-6 Big Ten) on Saturday evening at drizzly Beard Field. The Hoosiers took game one 12-6 in a back-and-forth opener. Lauren Yao (Los Angeles, Calif.) posted a 4-for-6 day with four runs scored, two RBI and three doubles to pace the Nittany Lion offense. Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) dealt a gem in game two to earn her first collegiate game. Behind the bat and arm of Wheatley, the Nittany Lions earned a split with Indiana by winning the nightcap 5-2. Wheatley tossed a complete game to earn her first collegiate victory allowing just two earned runs and two walks. At the plate, she went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in and a walk. RECAP

Ohio State at Purdue
The Ohio State softball games at Purdue, originally scheduled for Saturday, have been rained out. The Boilermakers and Buckeyes will look to get two games of the series in on Sunday. The teams will either play at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. or at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The game at 2 p.m. will be aired live on BTN.

Get the latest Big Ten softball standings and Big Ten softball statistics at BigTen.org.