Softball sweeps Valparaiso

Redshirt senior infielder Breanna Saucedo went through her pregame rituals as she had for the previous five years.

She touched home plate, greeted her teammates and ran to her position at the top of the infield for the start of the national anthem. It was nothing extraordinary, nothing special.

However, it was the last time Saucedo would ever step onto Andy Mohr Field wearing her IU uniform.

“It felt amazing,” Saucedo said. “It’s been five long years. It was a little emotional, but it was a great feeling to be able to play on this field.”

Saucedo, four other IU seniors — pitcher Meaghan Murphy, third baseman Shelby Gogreve, left fielder Jenna Abraham and catcher Jenna Malmen — and the rest of the Hoosiers (17-35-1, 5-15 conference) concluded their home season Wednesday, sweeping Valparaiso (20-30, 10-6) in a double-header.

IU Coach Michelle Gardner was thrilled with the way the team sent the seniors off.

“It feels fantastic, I loved it,” Gardner said. “Meaghan did a great job in the first game closing it out. I loved that I was able to give her the last innings in the second game, too.”

In the first game, IU concluded the final two innings of a game that was postponed from March 1.

The Hoosiers, who had a five-run lead at the time of postponement, held on to defeat Valpo 5-0.

IU junior pitcher Lora Olson was credited with the win after pitching the first four innings before the delay. She allowed just two hits while striking out six batters.
Murphy started the last three innings, striking out seven batters without
allowing a hit.

IU won the second game 8-0 behind a five-run second inning.

In the top of the second frame, Olson forced freshman Taylor Lawson to ground out to third, getting IU out of a bases-loaded jam.

After recording the third out, the IU bats came to life in the bottom half of the inning.
IU freshman first baseman CaraMia Tsirigos started the offensive onslaught, driving a solo homerun to left field.

After a brief rain delay, freshman outfielder Natalie Lalich scored a run from third after a wild pitch.

Sophomore catcher Kelsey Dotson added to the Hoosiers’ lead, hitting a one-out, three-run home run to left field.

On the next at bat, junior center fielder Brianna Meyer reached base on an error, sending her streak of reaching base to 22 games. 

Meyer said the key to her success has been staying comfortable at the plate.
“I try not to think about it too much,” Meyer said. “I’m always trying to get on, and I don’t care how I do it. I just try not to get into my head.”

In the bottom of the fourth, Saucedo sent a pitch to right field, driving in another IU run.
After the Crusaders were held scoreless, IU pushed another run across the plate off of an Abraham single to center field.

On the next at bat, sophomore designated player Michelle Huber drove a ball to the left field wall, sending in Abraham and ending the game after five innings.

Saucedo credited the team’s performance to timely hitting, especially in the second game.

“We did well putting hits together tonight,” she said. “We had some big hits, which allowed us to score runs early.”