Wagner comes up clutch again for IU

The IU softball team swept Wisconsin in a two-game series during the weekend, capped by Amanda Wagner’s walk-off grand slam Sunday.

The Hoosiers (27-15, 8-2) are now 12-1 at home and have won seven-straight games — 15 of their last 18 games overall.

In game one, senior pitcher Morgan Melloh struck out 21 Badgers in eight innings, a career high and the third-most in a single game in IU history, as the Hoosiers got the 4-3 extra-inning victory.

In game two, the Hoosiers squandered numerous chances, but trailed by only one run going into the bottom of the seventh.

After the Badgers walked senior Sara Olson for the fourth time that day, Wagner finally made the Badgers pay with her third walk-off hit of the season, a grand slam to left field.

“They’ve been walking her all weekend, so it’s kind of something I expected and I tried to mentally prepare myself for it, and my whole goal wasn’t to get the big home run, it was to hit Bre (Saucedo) in, and the fact that it happened to go out is even better,” Wagner said.

Coach Michelle Gardner said she feels all the contributions from so many different players have been key to the overall success of the team in the last 18 games.

“It’s a team effort no matter how you look at it. It can’t be just one person, it’s got to be everybody, and we’re getting good performances in the circle. Now some other people are coming through, which is exactly what we need to happen,” Gardner said.

Despite numerous missed opportunities early in the game, the Hoosiers said they felt they still had a good shot to win the game. Wagner explained that the team members have a strong belief in themselves and that makes all the difference.

“It’s a belief that we can do it and we can win,” Wagner said. “Whether it comes down to the first inning or the last inning, there’s always that belief that we can come out with the win.”

Since completing its early season tournaments with a record of 12-12, Gardner said the team has really hit its stride and has showed incredible focus.

“We’re finding a way to win ball games,” Gardner said. “It’s like they’re zoned in, and that’s what we needed to happen.”