INSIDE SOFTBALL
BY ANNA POULTER-HENDRICKSON
@BadgerSoftball
SCHEDULE (33-9, 10-5)
This Week
Fri.
at Indiana
Sat.
at Indiana
Sun.
at Indiana
Next Week
May 3
Michigan State
May 4
Michigan State
May 5
Michigan State
Badgers pitchers have
strength in numbers
Duo leading the charge from in the circle
W
ith a team ERA that
ranks in the top20 nationally, the Badgers
are getting the most out of
their pitching staff this season. But, unlike many other
teams that rank in the national statistics, Wisconsin
is achieving those numbers
with a pair of top pitchers.
Senior Meghan McIn60 ยป VARSITY
APR I L 25, 2013
tosh and junior Cassandra
Darrah have teamed up for
success on the mound, and
Wisconsin is reaping the rewards.
"A lot of Big Ten teams
have one dominate pitcher
and they have to wear them
out a little bit," said head
coach Yvette Healy. "Down
the stretch you see a lot of
5 p.m.
Noon
Noon
6 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Big Ten teams that go with one horse
and have one dominate pitcher.
When you have a three-game series it
makes it a lot tougher when you only
have one strong arm to go with."
For Wisconsin, having the options
of throwing Darrah or McIntosh
makes the team even better.
"It is huge for us; it helps keep everybody fresher, gives us more options and makes it tough to scout us,"
Healy said. "It gives us more depth,
which is a huge thing from a pitching
standpoint."
Darrah recorded UW's first nohitter in over a decade and McIntosh
followed with a pair of no-hitters,
marking the first time in school history there have been three no-hitters
in one season.
"Cassandra has really stepped
up her game this year, but Meghan
is definitely the unsung hero," said
Healy. "She has taken the pressure
off of Cass in a lot of big situations;
she has come through with a lot of
big wins for us."
For Wisconsin, the end goal is a
trip to the NCAA tournament. And,
unlike many of their counterparts,
the Badgers have a pair of arms to get
them there.
