IU was overwhelmed by a dominant Michigan offense this weekend as the No. 2 Wolverines swept the Hoosiers at Andy Mohr Field.
For IU (20-13, 3-3), the series was a chance to prove its legitimacy. The team was off to its best start since 1997, but it allowed 31 runs in the series and Michigan (27-3, 5-1) pulled off the sweep.
Michigan used early leads in each game to get ahead of IU before the Hoosier offense could find its footing. The dangerous Wolverine offense that entered the series seventh in the country in batting average scored at least one run in the first inning of each game.
“We didn’t come out like we had been, but you can’t take anything away from them,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “My club’s still really good. They have to bounce back and bounce back quickly.”
On Friday, Michigan jumped to a 5-0 lead through two innings with three home runs off freshman pitcher Tara Trainer. The Hoosiers earned three runs back in the third inning but allowed the Wolverines to blow the game open the rest of the way en route to an 11-5 loss.
Senior standout Sierra Romero led Michigan on Friday by batting 4-for-5 with three RBIs. In the series, the second baseman reached base safely in 12 of her 13 at-bats.
Saturday and Sunday saw more of the same for the Wolverines. They managed to win both games by virtue of the eight-run mercy rule.
Fifth-year senior outfielder Shannon Cawley went 2-for-2 Saturday, good for half of IU’s hits in the game. However, steady and consistent offense from the Wolverines gave them an 8-0 win in five innings.
“Anytime you can see success off of a talented pitching staff like that, it definitely gives myself a lot of confidence,” Cawley said. “I felt good at the plate.”
Cawley went 4-for-7, notching two RBIs in the three games and leading the way offensively during the series. She played her way into the cleanup spot in the lineup for Sunday’s game.
Sunday’s series finale was tight early on, with the game tied at two in the third before Michigan hit two grand slams the rest of the way to give it a 12-4 win in six innings.
The Wolverine bats delivered at the plate throughout the weekend, but the Hoosiers’ inconsistent pitching added to the problems. Hoosier pitchers combined to walk 30 batters throughout the three-game set. All three IU pitchers saw action during the weekend, but none had a scoreless appearance.
Michigan Coach Carol Hutchins entered the series just one win away from tying the all-time NCAA record for career wins. Hutchins is in her 32nd season as the Wolverines’ head coach.
When Saturday’s game ended and Hutchins secured her record-breaking 1,458th victory, several Michigan fans unveiled a banner in honor of the achievement as her players doused her with Gatorade.
IU travels to Purdue for a midweek doubleheader Tuesday, the only two-game series on the Big Ten schedule for the Hoosiers. Purdue boasts a similar record to IU’s, with a 20-15 mark overall and 2-4 record in the Big Ten.
Cawley and Gardner both said the team can take some positives away from the Michigan series, particularly the offense that got plenty of runners on base during the series. IU left 21 runners on during the weekend, which leaves plenty of room for improvement.
“We scored runs on a team that doesn’t give up a lot of runs,” Cawley said. “There’s definitely a lot of things we can build on and learn from going into the next few series.”
