Melloh dosen't allow run in sweep of Nittany Lions

The IU softball team improved to 22-15 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten over the weekend after sweeping a two-game series with Penn State.

The Hoosiers did not allow a single Nittany Lion to score in 15 innings thanks to timely hitting and a strong dose of Morgan Melloh.

In game one on Saturday, neither team scored  into the eighth inning,  before the Hoosiers exploded with three runs after Samantha Heyman, Breanna Saucedo and Sara Olson all provided RBI singles.

Game two entered the seventh inning in a scoreless tie before Amanda Wagner put the Hoosiers ahead for good with a pinch hit RBI, breaking an 0-12 slump for the sophomore.  Wagner said that as she stepped to the plate she had one objective-put the ball in play.

“I just really wanted to put the ball in play and make their defense work, because as long as I could put the ball in play something good could happen,” Wagner said.

Melloh continued her dominance in the circle as she improved to 18-14 on the season after allowing only three hits and striking out 19 over 15 scoreless innings on the weekend.  She became only the second IU pitcher to ever strike out 300 in a season and the first since Amy Unterbrink in 1986. 

IU coach Michelle Gardner said she continues to be impressed by her senior pitcher.

“She has done every single thing that we have asked her to do and she just finds a way to get it done and she has a ton of strikeouts,” Gardner said.