Wisconsin walks off Nebraska as Huskers’ winning streak ends at 18 games, Badgers earn doubleheader sweep | Softball

The Nebraska softball team’s winning streak went down Saturday, but not without a fight.

A late game-tying Husker rally was spoiled by Wisconsin’s Ally Miklesh, who hit a walk-off single as the Badgers earned a 3-2 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader in Madison, Wis.

Nebraska had won 18 straight games, which stands as the second-longest streak in program history. The run, which began March 19 in Kansas, included a 13-0 start to Big Ten play. 

In the seventh inning, Nebraska pitcher Olivia Ferrell carefully pitched to Big Ten batting leader Kayla Konwent, who drew a walk before giving way to pinch-runner Morgan Kummer.

Kummer immediately stole second base and then advanced to third on a wild pitch with no outs. Miklesh’s liner to left field sealed the outcome.

It wasn’t quite at the level of last Sunday, when Nebraska rallied to win after trailing by seven runs, but the Huskers again struck up some late-inning magic.

Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Mya Felder hit a run-scoring single to tie the score. Nebraska had two more runners on base with just one out but couldn’t do more damage.

Both teams’ pitchers threw complete games. NU’s Ferrell allowed just four hits but ran into trouble in the fourth, when Wisconsin plated two runs after loading the bases with no outs.

Wisconsin’s Maddie Schwartz scattered around five hits, including a Billie Andrews double that gave the Huskers a 1-0 lead in the third.

The Badgers polished off the sweep with a 5-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader.

Wisconsin jumped NU pitcher Courtney Wallace for four runs in the first two innings, including a three-run second highlighted by RBI hits from Molly Schlosser and Peyton Bannon.

Nebraska tried to scratch back into the game with run-scoring hits from Peyton Glatter and Mya Felder in the fifth and sixth innings to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Wisconsin tacked on an unearned run in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh.

The Huskers (33-11, 13-2 Big Ten) and Badgers (25-11, 10-4) will finish the weekend series at 1 p.m. Sunday in Madison.