IU struggled through the first two games of its series with Penn State this weekend before breaking out in the finale to salvage a win.
Penn State (19-17, 8-3 in the Big Ten) used its high-powered offense to overwhelm IU (22-16, 5-6) in the first two games before the Hoosiers turned to an unlikely source of composure and leadership in the circle.
The Hoosiers led early in Friday’s opener, courtesy of three hits in the bottom of the second that put IU up 2-0 through three innings.
But IU could only add one more run, and Penn State’s bats exploded in the fourth and continued rolling the rest of the way. Penn State collected 11 hits and all 13 of its runs from the fourth through seventh innings and ultimately won 13-3.
On Saturday, Penn State and IU combined for 27 hits in a marathon three-hour game.
IU fell behind 2-0 early, but a three-run homer from senior Katelyn Conenna claimed the lead for the Hoosiers in the bottom of the first.
The Nittany Lions scored the next five runs before the Hoosiers got two more back on a pair of RBI singles in the fourth inning. Penn State’s offense was too much to overcome in the end, as the Nittany Lions scored in all but one inning of the game and came away with a 15-7 win.
Freshmen pitchers Tara Trainer and Josie Wood manned the circle for almost the entirety of the first two games, combining to allow 20 earned runs.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Kirk entered to record IU’s last out Saturday, and IU Coach Michelle Gardner liked what she saw enough to hand Kirk the start Sunday.
“The other two got hit hard, and I just felt like Emily was going to keep the ball down better than those guys,” Gardner said. “We needed to give them a different look and that was the look I wanted to give them.”
In what was just her third start of the season, Kirk delivered. The Texan allowed two quick runs in the first inning on four hits before settling in the rest of the way.
Iu’s offense had its biggest game of the weekend as Kirk coasted through the game while posting zeroes across the scoreboard.
Led by junior infielder CaraMia Tsirigos, who went 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored, the Hoosiers broke out in the fifth and sixth innings.
The game was tied 2-2 in the fifth when IU scored four runs on three hits and a plethora of miscues by Penn State. In the top of the sixth, the Hoosiers had another rally going when sophomore infielder Taylor Uden came up to the plate with two runners on and IU leading 8-2.
Uden promptly smacked one over the left field wall to give IU a mercy-rule 11-2 victory. It was IU’s second mercy-rule win of the season and the fourth time the Hoosiers have posted a double-digit run total.
The IU victory was Kirk’s first career win, which she said was unbelievable.
“It’s just a great feeling,” Kirk said. “I had the support of my teammates behind me, and that was awesome, that helps.”
Kirk finished the day having thrown all six innings while giving up seven hits and striking out three. She lowered her season ERA to 4.67 with the complete game.
Both Gardner and Kirk credited the offense with providing a comfortable cushion for Kirk to pitch in the game’s final innings. Conenna, who hit the three-run homer, sophomore Rebecca Blitz and freshman Sarah Galovich led IU in hits during the weekend, as each collected four throughout the series.
IU will get a break in the Big Ten schedule this week when they play host to Louisville (25-9, 10-4 in the ACC) on Tuesday.
Gardner said she hopes the manner in which IU won Sunday will give them a boost when they play Louisville.
“That wasn’t just a win, that was a walkoff, and there’s a difference,” Gardner said. “Yes, we got beat the last two days, but we really found a way to absolutely get it done with the walkoff, so I really feel good about that.”
