Hoosiers split with Cardinals

The IU softball team split its doubleheader with in-state rival Ball State on Tuesday. The Hoosiers claimed the opener 1-0 behind a strong performance by freshman pitcher Katie Witham, who recorded her second shutout of the season. But Ball State (16-18) overcame a late deficit to beat IU (13-28-1) 4-3 in the nightcap.\nWitham scattered six hits over seven innings as she picked up her second six-hit shutout this season and improved her record to 6-8. Witham's other shutout victory came in a 3-0 decision over Bradley March 13. The Hoosier defense backed up Witham, committing only one error in the game.\nDespite getting just three hits off the Cardinals' ace pitcher, sophomore Randi Freese, IU scored the lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Junior third baseman Heather Suca was able to score on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth to give the Hoosiers the 1-0 lead.\nSuca reached base on a three-base error by Ball State sophomore right fielder Kris Burdine, who dropped Suca's fly ball. The Cardinals threatened Witham's shutout in the fourth and fifth innings after loading the bases, but Witham was able to battle out of both jams.\n In the nightcap the Hoosiers turned to senior Alison Cooke on the mound, and Ball State went to Cortney Winger. IU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as junior catcher Stormy Hanson walked with two outs in the first inning and scored on a single by sophomore Heather Stillians when the ball went under the glove of Ball State center fielder Ruth Hjelmeland and rolled to the fence.\nBall State answered with a run in the fourth inning after Hoosier senior shortstop Brooke Monroe committed a fielding error. Each team scored a run in the sixth inning, leaving the score knotted at 2-2 heading into the seventh.\nAfter a scoreless seventh inning, the International Tiebreaker rule was put into affect as the hitting team puts a runner on second base to start the inning. Freshman second baseman Annika Ochoa went to second for the Hoosiers, and Monroe advanced her to third with a sacrifice. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Freese came in to relieve Winger. Freese's first pitch was wild, and Ochoa scored to give IU a 3-2 lead.\nThe Cardinals followed by using the Hoosiers' strategy of advancing their lead runner to third with a sacrifice. Cooke then induced a groundout from Ball State junior Janice Campbell that kept the Cardinals' runner, Mandy Snyder, at third. Ball State's Katie Shea ripped a hit into right field that scored Snyder and tied the game for the third time. Ball State freshman Lyndsay Buckley followed Shea with a line drive to center field that was dropped by Hoosier freshman Lauren Jolly, allowing Shea to score from first.