Minnesota 5, Illinois 1 (Game 1); Minnesota 2, Illinois 0 (Game 2)
Game 1: Sophomore shortstop Tyler Walker went 3-for-3 with a triple and two home runs, and junior right-handed pitcher Sara Moulton struck out 11 batters to record her 21st win of the season, as Minnesota defeated Illinois, 5-1, in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Senior first baseman Alex Davis also hit a solo home run for Minnesota to cap a 2-for-3 game at the plate. RECAP
Game 2: Freshman left-hander Nikki Anderson and junior righty Sara Moulton combined on a complete-game shutout, and junior center fielder Bree Blanchette hit her seventh home run of the season, as Minnesota swept a doubleheader at Illinois with a 2-0 victory. Anderson worked the first five innings for the Gophers, allowing just three hits and striking out four to improve to 4-2 on the season. Moulton, who earned her 21st win in the Gophers' 5-1 win in the opening game, pitched the final two innings to record her second save of the season. RECAP

Purdue 9, Indiana 1
The Purdue softball team secured the season series with Indiana, downing the Hoosiers 9-1 on Saturday. The Boilermakers hammered Indiana with 12 hits, while holding the Hoosier offense at bay. Purdue scored its nine runs on 12 hits, led by a 3-for-4 effort by junior Andie Varsho. Seniors Erika Petruzzi and Maia Monchek along with junior Tori Chiodo and freshman Paris Andrew also chipped in two-hit performances. RECAP

Wisconsin 5, Nebraska 2
Big clutch hitting powered the Wisconsin softball team to a 5-2 win over No. 22 Nebraska Saturday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium. The Badgers used seven hits to score five runs and defeat Nebraska on their home field, a place where the Huskers rarely lose. Nebraska (29-9 overall, 7-3 Big Ten) is 23-3 at home over the past two seasons, with two of the three losses coming at the hands of the Badgers. Darrah went the distance in the circle, throwing all seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three. RECAP

Iowa 15, Northwestern 14
The University of Iowa softball team outlasted Northwestern, 15-14, in a marathon on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game set at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The slugfest included 29 runs on 25 hits and lasted almost three hours. The Hawkeyes clinch the series victory after winning the opener Friday night, 12-7. The 15 runs are the most by Iowa in a conference game since May 3, 1997, when the Hawkeyes won at Penn State, 19-1. RECAP

Ohio State 16, Penn State 7
The Ohio State softball team won its second conference series of the season after downing Penn State, 16-7, in five innings Saturday afternoon at Buckeye Field. Offensively, Ohio State notched a season-best nine runs in the first inning and added a run in the third and six in the fourth en route to the victory. Freshman Cammi Prantl went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a season-high four RBI, junior Melissa Rennie was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI, while sophomore Maddy McIntyre had three RBI and two walks. Caitlin Conrad posted a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. RECAP

Iowa 12, Northwestern 7
The University of Iowa softball team topped Northwestern, 12-7, on Friday night in a wild opening game of a three-game set at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Trailing 4-2 in the fourth, the Hawkeyes sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs on eight hits to take an 11-4 lead in their first Big Ten road contest. The league foes combined for 19 runs on 26 hits. "The offense saw the pitcher really well the first time through the lineup," said UI head coach Marla Looper. "The second time through, we made adjustments and found opportunities to attack and put a lot of runners on. Our top and bottom of the lineup did a really nice job." RECAP

Ohio State 2, Penn State 0
Highlighted by two solo home runs by a pair of juniors, the Ohio State softball team shut out Penn State, 2-0, Friday in game one of a three-game series at Buckeye Field. Evelyn Carrillo and Melissa Rennie scored the lone two runs of the contest on solo shots in the bottom of the fourth to help the Buckeyes improve to 24-14 overall and 4-6 in Big Ten play. Sophomore Alex DiDomenico improved to 10-6 overall, collecting her fifth complete-game shutout of the season. She tossed seven innings, limiting the PSU bats to four hits with four strikeouts. Overall, Ohio State outhit the Nittany Lions, 7-4, in the contest. RECAP

Purdue 7, Indiana 2
The Boilermaker offense exploded for seven runs, including two home runs, as the Purdue softball team downed Indiana 7-2 in Game 1 of the weekend's three game series. Senior Erika Petruzzi provided the bulk of the Purdue offense with two swings of the bat, a solo home run and a grand slam, tying her for the Purdue record for home runs in a game. The record of two homers has now been achieved 21 times, including three times by Petruzzi, who also launched two long balls vs. North Dakota State on Feb. 14, 2010, and against Indiana on April 7, 2012. RECAP

Michigan 21, Michigan State 2
The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan softball team unleashed a six-home run monsoon against Michigan State today to win 21-2 in five innings at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The 21 runs marked a season best for the Wolverines and the most ever against MSU (13 on May 12, 2006). The Wolverines extended their winning streak to 15 games and home win streak to nine games. The Spartans started the scoring in the top of the first, but U-M turned that into a distant memory with a six-run second inning and 13-run third inning. RECAP

Nebraska 4, Wisconsin 0
Behind a three-hit shutout from junior right-hander Tatum Edwards and a four-run fifth inning from the Husker offense, the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team defeated Wisconsin, 4-0, in Friday's series opener at Bowlin Stadium. Edwards took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, finishing with her Big Ten-leading seventh shutout of the season. Edwards struck out seven and allowed only two balls out of the infield all game, while improving to 18-6 on the year. RECAP

Minnesota vs. Illinois
Game 1 - Saturday 2 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 4 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 2 p.m.

Purdue at Indiana
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m., BTN.com

Iowa at Northwestern
Game 1 - Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.

Michigan vs. Michigan State
Game 1 - Friday in Ann Arbor, 4 p.m., BTN
Game 2 - Saturday in East Lansing, 1 p.m., BTN.com
Game 3- Sunday in East Lansing, 1 p.m., BTN.com

Wisconsin at Nebraska
Game 1 - Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m.

Penn State at Ohio State
Game 1 - Friday, 6 p.m., BTN.com
Game 2 - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 3 - Sunday, 1 p.m., BTN.com

All times ET and schedule subject to change

Penn State 11, Pittsburgh 7

Two Big Ten players were named 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists on Wednesday. Michigan's Sierra Romero and Penn State's Cassidy Bell were named finalists for the honor, which is presented annually to the nation's top player. The winner will be announced at the opening of the 2013 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. Romero is one of just two freshman that were named to the 25-player list, while Bell is among the national leaders in numerous statistical categories.

USA Softball Release

Penn State at Pittsburgh (DH), 4 p.m. ET
Ball State at Purdue (DH), 3 p.m. ET

Eastern Illinois 12, Illinois 1
Michigan 8, Western Michigan 0
Northwestern 11, Notre Dame 3
Ohio State 4, Ohio 2
Ohio State 6, Ohio 1
Penn State 4, Saint Francis (Pa.) 1
Purdue 7, Loyola (Chicago) 4

A pair of programs appear among the top 25 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and USA Softball national rankings, while three others are receiving votes in the latest polls released on Tuesday. Michigan appears at No. 12 in both polls, while Nebraska is rated 18th in the USA Softball poll and No. 22 in the NFCA standings. Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin each are among the squads also receiving votes in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls.

Notre Dame at Northwestern, 5 p.m.
Ohio State at Ohio (DH, 5 p.m.

Indiana 4 Penn State 3
A four-run fourth inning helped the Indiana softball team close out its first home weekend series with a 4-3 win over visiting Penn State this afternoon. With the victory, the Hoosiers secure its first conference series win of the year and improve to 3-6 in Big Ten play and 19-20 overall. Indiana outhit Penn State 8-6 and saw hits from six different batters. Brianna Meyer and Kelsey Brannon both went 2-for-2, while Amanda Wagner and Michelle Huber each drove in a pair of runs. RECAP

Nebraska 3, Iowa 2
The 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team won in its final at bat for the seventh time this season, scoring once in the top of the seventh inning of a 3-2 victory over Iowa on Sunday afternoon at Pearl Field. The win clinched a series victory over the Hawkeyes, while also wrapping up a 5-2 road trip for the Huskers. Nebraska has now won 11 road games this season - the third-highest total in school history - while winning its first two Big Ten Conference road series of the year. RECAP

Michigan 17, Ohio State 5
The No. 12 University of Michigan softball team piled on eight runs in the first inning, fueled by eight walks, on its way to a 17-5 run-rule victory over Ohio State on Sunday (April 7) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The win, which saw the Maize and Blue score in every inning, secured the three-game series sweep of the Buckeyes. RECAP

Wisconsin 10, Minnesota 0 (Game 1); Minnesota 8, Wisconsin 0 (Game 2)
Game 1: Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 10-0 on Sunday, paced by a no-hitter by Meghan McIntosh. Stephanie Peace homered to left center field to score two runs and Whitney Massey followed with a home run over the center field fence to put UW up 3-0. Michelle Mueller singled to score two runs, then a double by Mueller cleared the bases and gave the Badgers a 6-0 lead. Wisconsin tacked on a run in the fifth inning on Massey's second home run of the game and posted three more in the sixth to take a 10-0 lead. RECAP
Game 2: Minnesota captured the rubber match in its Big Ten weekend series with No. 23/25 Wisconsin, as it defeated the Badgers by a score of 8-0 in five innings to take two-of-three in its home-opening weekend. The Gophers used a three-run first and a five-run third to bounce back after dropping the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader. RECAP

Northwestern 7, Illinois 1
Northwestern completed a sweep of Illinois Sunday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field with the help of a five-run fifth inning, defeating the Illini, 7-1. Northwestern now is 19-14 overall on the season with its victory, 5-3 in the Big Ten. Illinois falls to 11-21 on the year with its loss, 1-8 in the conference. In the NU sweep, Wildcats pitchers held the Illini to just five hits and one run over the course of the entire three game series. By contrast, NU plated 23 runs and pounded out 13 extra-base hits, including six home runs. RECAP

Michigan State 1, Purdue 0
Michigan State softball took the series against Purdue after edging the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon, 1-0. Junior Kelly Smith pitched for MSU and notched seven strikeouts, while senior Jayme O'Bryant scored the lone Spartan run. RECAP