(UW ATHLETICS) LOS ANGELES – The Wisconsin softball team dropped its conference opener against No. 8/7 UCLA, allowing 13 unanswered runs to one of the top offenses in the country at Easton Stadium on Friday night in a 14-5 loss.
The Badgers (14-8, 0-1 B1G) jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning against the Bruins (19-3, 1-0 B1G). Senior Emily Bojan was the spark once again, as the Chicago native blasted a double to the gap to extend her on-base streak to 22 games, tied for the fifth-longest mark in program history.
Bojan crossed home plate with the help of a sacrifice fly from junior Alivia Bark. One batter later, junior Danielle Lucey continued to produce from the right side of the plate, tallying an RBI with a single to make it 2-0. Lucey advanced to second on a defensive miscue turned in by the Bruins, and scored a couple of pitches later with the help of an RBI single turned in by junior Makenzie Foster.
Bark capitalized with runners on base once again in the third, barreling a double down the third base line to extend the advantage back out to three after UCLA’s Megan Grant launched a solo home run. After a base hit from Lucey, Foster drove in Bark with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Bruins used their prolific offense to provide a strong response, erupting for seven runs in the fourth inning to take an 11-5 lead. Jordan Woolery and Aleena Garcia each earned a three-run blast to put UCLA out front.
An inning later, Woolery tallied her second three-run homer of the evening—ending the game in run-rule fashion as the Bruins plated 13 unanswered runs over the final three innings.
Batting Cleanup:
- The Badgers scored in the first inning for the 13th time this season, posting three runs to kick off the series.
- Emily Bojan extended her on-base streak to 22 games, as she has reached in every game this season. The senior is now tied for the fifth-longest streak in program history with former UW standout Kayla Konwent (2023).
- Makenzie Foster was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in a pair.
- Danielle Lucey finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, tallying her sixth multi-hit game of the year.
- Alivia Bark was 1-for-2 with two RBIs, good for her eighth multi-RBI game of the season.
- UCLA’s Jordan Woolery is just the 15th opponent to have four hits in a game versus the Badgers. Woolery tallied two HRs in the process, becoming the first individual to hit a pair against UW since 2024.
Up Next: Game two of the series will take place Saturday night, as first pitch between the Badgers and the Bruins is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on B1G+ and live stats can be followed on uwbadgers.com.
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