Despite having an early lead, IU was ultimately stifled by Louisville’s pitchers and lost 12-2 in five innings Tuesday.
Louisville (27-9, 11-4 in the ACC) took advantage of walks and errors to overwhelm IU (22-17, 5-6 in the Big Ten) with a few breakout innings.
The Hoosiers led 2-0 after the first inning and trailed by one run heading into the fourth before the Cardinals took control of the game with nine runs in the last two innings.
Senior outfielder Michelle Huber scored for IU with a two-run double off the left-field wall in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the second, freshman pitcher Tara Trainer walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-run double to Louisville outfielder Jordan McNary.
Trainer walked in a third run before being removed in favor of fellow freshman Josie Wood.
Louisville blew the game open in the top of the fourth inning with the help of five singles. The Cardinals plated five runs to take an 8-2 lead.
Sophomore Emily Kirk took the circle during the fourth inning and finished the game for the Hoosiers.
In the fifth, Louisville would tack on four more hits and score four runs to make it 12-2.
IU finished with just three hits and none in the final three innings.
Junior infielder Erin Lehman went 2 for 3 in the game, with Huber’s first-inning double being the other hit. Lehman’s multi-hit performance raised her season average to .333.
“Well, they brought in the new pitcher, and we got a little over-anxious, I think,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We felt too much pressure to score, and we let that get the best of us.”
After allowing three hits and two runs in the first 2.1 innings, star freshman Megan Hensley was removed and junior Maryssa Becker was put in.
Becker walked just one and gave up no hits for the rest of the game.
Each of IU’s three pitchers tossed 1.2 innings in the game, and each allowed multiple runs.
Trainer gave up just one hit during her time in the circle, but six walks were her undoing en route to allowing three earned runs.
Wood and Kirk followed by giving up 10 hits combined and the rest of the nine Cardinal runs.
IU will travel to take on Michigan State (20-19, 2-7) for a three-game series this weekend. It will be the first weekend on the road for IU in Big Ten play.
Gardner said because the young Hoosier pitchers have been struggling lately, the offense will need to catch up and provide support.
“We’re just taking some lumps on the mound that we weren’t taking earlier in the year,” Gardner said. “And now we’re taking them a little bit, so we’re going to have to get through it.”
