Softball team drops three to Minnesota

The regular season came to an end for the IU softball team Sunday in Minneapolis. IU will now turn its attention to the Big Ten Tournament.

Indiana suffered two walk-off losses to Minnesota to finish the season. The team was swept in the final regular season series of the season, finishing the year on a 14-game losing streak.

IU lost the last two games 1-0 and 5-4. Sunday, the Hoosiers pushed across two
runs in the seventh to take a one-run lead. But Minnesota would fight back.

Minnesota’s Tyler Walker singled up the middle against IU freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer. A fielder’s choice by senior Kari Drole advanced Walker to second. She moved up to third on a throwing error by Boetjer. Kaitlyn Richardson singled to score Walker, and the game was tied 4-4.

Following a sacrifice bunt to advance Drole to third and Richardson to second, sophomore Erica Meyer singled to score Drole, and Minnesota completed its comeback with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 5-4 and sweep the series.

Saturday, IU played a double-header against Minnesota to make up for Friday’s postponed game. In the first game, IU fell 8-0 in five innings. The Hoosiers managed
two hits compared to the Golden Gophers’ seven.

In the nightcap, Murphy pitched five innings of no hit ball before allowing a hit in the sixth. Her only mistake came against Walker, who led off the bottom of the eighth with a home run to give the Gophers the 1-0 victory.

The tournament starts Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

—Robby Howard