(UW ATHLETICS) MINNEAPOLIS – The Wisconsin softball team earned its first sweep over Minnesota since 2012 on Sunday afternoon, winning 5-3 behind a four-RBI performance from redshirt Jaclyn Showalter and complete game effort turned in by senior Shelby Jacobson.
With three consecutive wins this weekend, the Badgers (28-17, 12-9 B1G) clinched their spot in the Big Ten Tournament between May 6-9 in College Park, Maryland—surpassing their conference win total from 2025 in the process.
UW’s offense continued to excel, getting the scoring started in the first inning with the help of a two-RBI double turned in by redshirt freshman Jaclyn Showalter. The Hartland, Wis. native stole third base and eventually came around to score on an errant throw from the Golden Gophers (15-33, 6-15 B1G) to extend the advantage to 3-0.
In the third, Showalter stepped up with runners in scoring position once again, rolling a ground ball to the right side to plate freshman Sydney Spear.
Minnesota took advantage of an error turned in by the Badgers to cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom half of the third, but Jacobson escaped the jam in the circle and limited the damage to just one run.
Each pitching staff settled in throughout the rest of the game until the final inning, where Showalter notched her fourth RBI of the game with a single to the opposite field.
The Golden Gophers provided a quick response in the bottom of the seventh, plating two with a home run from Cassie Johnson to make it 5-3. Jacobson retired the last three batters of the game, earning her 12th win of the year and her second complete game of the weekend.
Batting Cleanup:
- Wisconsin earned its first sweep over Minnesota since the 2012 season. Entering this weekend, the Badgers had never swept a three-game series over the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.
- Sunday’s victory marks the first time the Badgers have won three straight games on the road versus a Big Ten foe since they swept Purdue at Bittinger Stadium in 2023.
- UW punched its ticket to the Big Ten Tournament over the weekend with the sweep, surpassing their conference win total from 2025 (11) with one more three-game series to go in the regular season.
- Jaclyn Showalter tallied four RBI in a 3-for-4 showing in the series finale, doing so for the second time this season. The redshirt freshman provided four RBI against Purdue in a 10-9 victory on April 5.
- Kendra Lewis finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, good for her 12th multi-hit game of the season.
- Shelby Jacobson recorded her second complete game of the weekend, earning her 12th win of the year.
Up Next: The Badgers will round out the regular season with a home series against Rutgers, beginning on Friday, May 1. Game one of the series is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT, as the battle will be streamed on
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