Sycamore softball hands Hoosiers 7-5 loss

After going 1-2 in last weekend’s conference home opener, the IU softball team went into Tuesday’s game with Indiana State looking to get back into the win column.

Despite a comeback attempt in the final inning, IU fell to Indiana State 7-5. The loss was the third straight and also the sixth in the last seven games for the Hoosiers.

After the loss at home, IU Coach Michelle Gardner said she was encouraged from what she saw in relief from senior pitcher Meaghan Murphy, who didn’t allow a hit in two innings.

“Her performance was huge,” Gardner said. “She came out and dominated. I really liked what she was doing out there.”

Indiana State’s offense got started early, driving two runs across the plate in the top of the first inning.

Senior utility player Morgan Allee reached base after being hit by a pitch on the second pitch of the day.

ISU junior utility player Megan Stone drove in Allee with a double off of the right field wall.

Two at-bats later, the Sycamores struck again when sophomore right fielder Alexa Cavin hit a ground ball just outside the glove of diving IU senior shortstop Breanna Saucedo.

As the ball rolled passed Saucedo, the Sycamores had time to score freshman catcher Brooke Riemenschneider.

With runners on the corners, IU escaped a jam when sophomore catcher Kelsey Dotson threw out Cavin in an attempt to steal second base.

After IU junior center fielder Brianna Meyer became the first Hoosier of the day to reach base on a walk, Dotson drove a pitch to left field to get an RBI single.

Dotson’s timely hit brought the Hoosiers closer to the Sycamores, cutting IU’s deficit to one run early on in the game.

But in the next half inning, Freshman Sycamores left fielder Rylee Holland hit a ground ball and beat out a Saucedo throw to first, driving in junior pitcher Yvette Alvarez in the process.

In the home half of the second frame, senior third baseman Shelby Gogreve hit a fly ball to Cavin in right field.

During the play, Cavin appeared to lose the ball in the glare of the sun, which resulted in sophomore first baseman Kassi Farmer scoring from second on the play as the ball hit the ground.

As Farmer scored, Gogreve was thrown out attempting to stretch her double into a triple.

After Boetjer allowed a triple to ISU center fielder Erika Crissman, Gardner brought in IU junior pitcher Lora Olson in for relief, but the change couldn’t slow down the Sycamore’s offensive output.

Crissman scored shortly after the change off a bunt off the bat of Holland, which was the first of two ISU runs in the inning.

The Hoosiers were able to get back onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Farmer sent a flyball to deep center field, driving in sophomore right fielder Natalie Lalich in the process.

After going scoreless in the fifth, Indiana State’s bats reemerged in the top of the sixth inning.

After Riemenschneider and Stone reached base on a single and double respectively, senior third baseman Shelby Wilson hit a pitch to right field to give the Sycamores a 7-3 lead.

IU senior left fielder Jenna Abraham hit a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Hoosier’s comeback attempt fell short.

The home run was Abraham’s second of the season, which was something she was excited about.

“I’m not really one to hit the long ball,” Abraham said. “I’m usually not swinging for the long ball. I usually just try to get base hits so when that happens it feels good.”
While one streak continued for the Hoosiers, another ended.

Saucedo, who came into the game with a 10-game hitting streak, went 0-for-3 on the day, ending her hitting streak.

IU now has a 9-24-1 record as they head into West Lafayette for a weekend series with the Purdue Boilermakers.