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Wisconsin 12, Indiana 1 (Game 1); Wisconsin 3, Indiana 0 (Game 2)
The Badgers opened with a run-rule blow out and closed with a school-record 14th Big Ten Conference win Friday night, sweeping Indiana in a doubleheader at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington, Ind. Wisconsin (37-9 overall, 14-5 Big Ten) started action with a huge first inning in the opening game. The Badgers scored nine runs on eight hits in the first inning of action. Mary Massei led off the game with her 65th hit of the year, a program record, and the Badgers' offense kept rolling when Shannel Blackshear hit her school-record tying 30th career home run. The Badgers success continued into the night cap. Wisconsin plated a pair of runs in the top of the third when Massey recorded her school-record tying 11th home run of the season. Wisconsin used the long ball again in the top of the fourth when Michelle Mueller connected for the third time in four games. RECAP
Penn State 6, Iowa 3
A five-run fifth supported by three doubles and a two-run blast from Kasie Hatfield lifted Penn State softball to a 6-3 victory over Iowa Friday evening at Pearl Field in Iowa City, Iowa. The Nittany Lions (13-30, 3-14 Big Ten) out-hit the Hawkeyes (25-22, 4-14 Big Ten), 9-6, to take the series opener. Macy Jones earned her 11th victory of the year with the complete-game effort while striking out five Hawkeyes. Seven Nittany Lion starters recorded at least one hit while Reina Furuya and Hatfield led the team with two apiece. Hatfield was also one of three players with two RBI, joined by Kailyn Johnson and Alyssa Sovereign. RECAP
Illinois 6, Michigan State 2
In what began as a fast-paced pitchers' duel, the Fighting Illini used a five-run sixth inning to defeat Michigan State University, 6-2. Jess Perkins drove in the first four runs for the Illini on a sacrifice fly and a three-run homer, while Pepper Gay limited the Spartans' offense to just a handful of hits, scoring only on a two-run shot that just barely cleared the fence. The victory extends the Illini's winning streak to six games, all in Big Ten play, improving to 17-25 (7-11 Big Ten), while MSU drops its seventh straight, falling to 21-21 (7-7 Big Ten). RECAP
Nebraska 6, Michigan 1
The Husker offense scored in four straight innings and Tatum Edwards held the nation's highest scoring team to just one run as the 16th-ranked Nebraska softball team snapped Michigan's nation-leading 22-game win streak with a 6-1 victory over the ninth-ranked Wolverines on Friday night at Bowlin Stadium. Nebraska improved to 36-10 with the win, handing Michigan (40-8) its first loss since March 14. The Huskers also gained ground on the Wolverines in the Big Ten standings, improving to 13-4 in league play. Michigan fell to 16-1 in Big Ten action with its first conference loss of the season and its first defeat in 21 consecutive conference games dating back to 2012. RECAP
Minnesota 3, Ohio State 0
Junior right-handed pitcher Sara Moulton threw a complete-game one-hit shutout, and sophomore shortstop Tyler Walker went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, as Minnesota opened a three-game series at Ohio State with a 3-0 win on Friday evening. Minnesota (29-15, 10-5 Big Ten) quickly took a 1-0 lead, as Walker opened the game with a double to the wall in left center, and she scored on a one-out single to center by junior center fielder Bree Blanchette. Walker gave the Gophers a 3-0 lead by opening the fifth inning with a line drive home run to left center, her team-leading 10th home run of the season. In the circle, Moulton was dominant, allowing just one hit and a pair of walks, while striking out 11 Ohio State batters to improve her record to 25-9 this season. The lone hit for the Buckeyes was a clean single to center by Maddie McIntyre to lead off the fifth. RECAP
Northwestern 6, Purdue 4
Trailing by a pair of runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Northwestern plated a quartet to earn a 6-4 win over Purdue in the opening game of Senior Weekend Friday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Letourneau led off the bottom half of the sixth with a solid single before Edwards was hit by a pitch. One out later, a passed ball moved both runners up a bag before LeBeau hit a sharp grounder to short to score Letourneau. Sammy Albanese was hit by a pitch, then Kristin Scharkey hit a little flare off the handle of her bat that fell just in front of a diving shortstop and scooted away to allow both Edwards and LeBeau to score and give NU its first lead of the game, 5-4. Nearly the exact same play followed when Majam also hit a flare to the shortstop that could not be corralled for an infield single, this one bringing Albanese around for a 6-4 score entering the seventh. RECAP
Purdue at Northwestern
Game 1 - Friday, 5 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Illinois at Michigan State
Game 1 - Friday, 5 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday 1 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Wisconsin at Indiana
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Friday, 8 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3 - Saturday, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Minnesota at Ohio State
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.
Penn State at Iowa
Game 1 - Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 3 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 2 p.m.
Michigan at Nebraska
Game 1 - Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m., BTN
Game 3 - Sunday, 12:30 p.m., BTN (delay, 3 p.m.)
All times ET and schedule subject to change
Iowa at Northern Iowa, 6 p.m. ET
Conference Games
Ohio State 4, Michigan State 1 (Game 1); Ohio State 6, Michigan State 3 (Game 2)
The Buckeyes swept both ends of Wednesday's doubleheader against Michigan State, taking Game 1 in a 4-1 decision before winning the nightcap, 6-3. Shelby Pickett belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to provide the decisive score. In the second game, the Buckeyes rallied from a 3-1 deficit, plating three runs in the fourth and adding two insurance runs in the six. Alex DiDomenico factored into both decisions on Wednesday, earning the win in Game 1 while picking up the save in Game 2. RECAP
Wisconsin 3, Northwestern 1 (Game 1); Wisconsin 4, Northwestern 2 (Game 2)
It was a series originally scheduled to be played a month ago, but for Wisconsin it was all worth the wait Wednesday night as the Badgers defeated Northwestern in a pair of crucial Big Ten Conference games at Goodman Diamond. After taking down the Wildcats, 3-1, in the day's first game, the Badgers posted a 4-2 come-from-behind victory in the nightcap to earn their 35th victory of the season, setting a program record for wins. Wisconsin (35-9 overall, 12-5 Big Ten) and Northwestern (25-28, 9-7) entered the series just a game apart in the Big Ten standings. RECAP
Non-Conference Games
Minnesota 9, Iowa State 4
Minnesota 13, Iowa State 1
Nebraska 6, Creighton 0
Penn State 2, Kent State 1
Purdue 4, Valparaiso 2
Conference Games
Michigan State at Ohio State (DH), 4 p.m., BTN
Northwestern at Wisconsin (DH), 4 p.m., BTN.com
Non-Conference Games
Iowa State at Minnesota (DH), 5 p.m.
Creighton at Nebraska, 7 p.m.
Kent State at Penn State (DH), 3 p.m., BTN.com
Valparaiso at Purdue, 4 p.m.
Green Bay at Wisconsin (DH), 4 p.m.
Conference Games
Illinois 8, Iowa 5 (Game 1); Illinois 6, Iowa 3
The Fighting Illini swung hot bats tonight in Iowa City, hitting .350 with 21 hits and 14 runs en route to a pair of victories over the University of Iowa. The Orange and Blue used an eight-run second inning to defeat the Hawkeyes, 8-5, in game one, then put up a pair of three spots in the nightcap to complete the sweep with a 6-3 win. All nine Illini in the batting order had a hit and scored a run tonight, with seven different Illini driving in at least one run. With the sweep, the Illini improve to 16-25 (6-11 Big Ten), while Iowa falls to 24-21 (4-13 Big Ten). RECAP
Non-Conference Games
Ball State 5, Indiana 2
Michigan 11, Central Michigan 0
Conference Games
Illinois at Iowa (DH), 4 p.m., BTN
Non-Conference Games
Ball State at Indiana, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Central Michigan at Michigan, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Five Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the national rankings this week. Michigan remains in the top 10 in both the USA Softball and NFCA polls, appearing at No. 9. Nebraska is tied for 16th in the USA Softball poll and ranked 20th in the NFCA standings. Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin each are receiving votes in the USA Softball poll and Wisconsin appears outside the NFCA top 25.
Illinois 8, Indiana 0
The Fighting Illini were fantastic on offense and defense this afternoon, cruising to an 8-0 rout of the Indiana Hoosiers to complete a sweep of the three-game Big Ten series. Sophomore Shelese Arnold threw her second-straight two-hit shutout, and seven different Illini batters collected hits in front of one of the largest crowds to watch a game at Eichelberger Field this season. RECAP
Michigan 8, Iowa 6 (Game 1); Michigan 8, Iowa 0 (Game 2)
The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan softball team belted two home runs, including a grand slam from freshman Sierra Lawrence, to top Iowa, 8-6, in game one of a doubleheader and then used an 11-hit attack and shutout from sophomore Sara Driesenga to take game two, 8-0, in five innings today at the Wilpon Complex. The pair of victories extends U-M's win streak to 21 games and keeps the squad perfect in the Big Ten with a 16-0 mark. The triumph in game two marked the 15th run-rule win for the Wolverines in 2013. RECAP
Northwestern 2, Penn State 1
One game after both teams combined for 31 runs at Beard Field, Northwestern defeated Penn State, 2-1, Sunday to sweep the series against the Nittany Lions. NU earns its second Big Ten sweep of the year with its win, moving to 25-16 overall on the year and 9-5 in the conference. The game marked the first time in their last 11 contests that the Wildcats failed to score at least seven runs; still, NU earned its fifth-straight victory. RECAP
Purdue 6, Nebraska 5
The Boilermaker softball team held on for a 6-5 win over No. 15 Nebraska on Sunday, marking the team's first win over a ranked opponent in 14 tries in 2013 and first since March 20, 2010. Nebraska scored first, but the Boilermakers put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning and added an insurance run in the second en route to the win. Purdue scored its six runs on 10 hits and an error, while the Huskers managed five runs on seven hits. Sophomore Lexy Moore (9-10) picked up the win, striking out two in four and a third innings, while freshman Lilly Fecho earned the save. RECAP
Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 2
A strong wind off of Lake Mendota didn't stop the Wisconsin softball team's offense Sunday afternoon, as the Badgers used a pair of home runs to power past Ohio State, 4-2, at Goodman Diamond. The victory capped off Wisconsin's weekend Big Ten Conference three-game sweep of the Buckeyes. RECAP
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