In its final games of the regular season, IU picked up a second consecutive series win and took two out of three games on the road against Maryland (11-41, 4-19) .
A rainout Friday forced the teams to play a doubleheader Saturday, which the Hoosiers (28-24, 10-13) dominated from beginning to end.
“Once we got the first win in, starting the second game felt like we were just going into the eighth inning of the same game,” senior outfielder Michelle Huber said. “So we just kept rolling.”
In the opener, freshman pitcher Tara Trainer started in the circle and IU jumped ahead early with three runs in the first inning.
The Hoosiers stretched their lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning before Trainer found herself in a jam and was replaced by fellow freshman pitcher Josie Wood.
After allowing the inherited runner to score, Wood settled in to finish the last four innings and allowed two more runs the rest of the way, but it was not enough for the Terrapins as IU tacked on three more runs of its own and came away with an 8-3 win.
Sophomore infielder Taylor Uden led the way with a pair of two-run hits, as she went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. The Hoosiers collected 11 hits in the game, and eight different Hoosiers got a hit.
The second game saw more of the same from IU, and Uden in particular, as the Arizona native registered three more RBIs in the first inning to get the Hoosiers out to an early lead.
Trainer started again, and was relieved by sophomore pitcher Emily Kirk after allowing a run in the third inning. IU would score three runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth and, by the fifth inning, the Hoosiers were ahead by enough to end the game in a mercy-rule win.
Kirk shut down the Terrapins in the fifth, and the Hoosiers finished off a 12-1 win. A pair of three-run home runs from Huber provided half the scoring for the Hoosiers.
“The first definitely felt better, but it was great to get the second one too,” Huber said. “She had two strikes on me so I was just looking to put the ball in play, and it went my way.”
In the finale, IU battled back from a six-run deficit to tie the game before allowing a grand slam in the fifth inning. In the top of the seventh, Huber added another solo shot, her third of the weekend and sixth of the year.
Senior catcher Kelsey Dotson also came around to score in the inning, but the rally fell short and the Hoosiers lost 10-8. Uden went 5 for 9 with 9 RBIs in the series, and Huber batted 4 for 7 with 7 RBIs.
The Hoosiers will begin Big Ten Tournament play on Thursday in State College, Pennsylvania. As the nine seed, IU will open against Wisconsin (28-23-1, 11-11-1), who the Hoosiers have not yet played this season.
Though they lost their final game, Huber said she was still confident that the Hoosiers could continue their strong play in the conference tournament.
“It was definitely nice to get the first two wins in, obviously we wanted the third win but we just came up a little short,” Huber said. “I definitely believe we still have good momentum though.”
