Indiana softball finished 4-1 this past weekend at the Hall of Fame Classic in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Hoosiers improved to 16-6 on the season and 1-0 in Big Ten play.
Day 1
Indiana started the weekend with a Friday matchup against the University of Houston. After the Cougars scored two runs in the top half of the first inning, Hoosier sophomore second baseman Cora Bassett cut the deficit with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore shortstop Brooke Benson then hit a two-run home run in the second inning to put the Hoosiers up 3-2.
Houston scored two runs in the fifth inning to go ahead 5-4. Indiana answered back in the bottom half of the same inning with three runs to go up 7-5. In that span, sophomore catcher Lindsey Warick advanced after being hit by a pitch, junior right fielder Desiree Dufek walked and an RBI from freshman pinch hitter and left fielder Taylor Minnick secured the extra runs. The Hoosiers added one last run to their total with a second home run from Bassett before winning 8-5.
Related: [Indiana softball’s pitching continues to show improvement in Hall of Fame Classic weekend]
Later that day, Indiana lost to No. 1-ranked University of Oklahoma 15-1. The Hoosiers had a pair of singles in the first inning, but they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity and left their runners stranded on base.
Oklahoma senior utility player Jocelyn Alo — who just last week set the NCAA record for career home runs — homered again in the first inning to put Oklahoma ahead 2-0. Alo’s home run was the 97th of her career.
Oklahoma put 15 runs up by the bottom of the fourth inning. The only support on offense Indiana received was a solo home run from freshman right fielder Sarah Stone in the top of the fifth inning before the seven-inning mercy rule was implemented, and the game ended early. This game was the 18th time in 22 games this season Oklahoma won by mercy run rule.
Day 2
Indiana first played Sam Houston State University on Saturday. Freshman first baseman and pitcher Brianna Copeland doubled to left field in the fourth inning and drove in graduate student third baseman Grayson Radcliffe to put the Hoosiers up 1-0 over the Bearkats.
The only other run for the Hoosiers came in the sixth inning when Radcliffe homered to left center field to secure the Hoosiers a 2-0 victory. Sophomore pitcher Macy Montgomery pitched 6.1 innings and earned three strikeouts on the day.
The win over Sam Houston State was Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton’s 700th career win.
Indiana next played Iowa for its first Big Ten game of the 2022 season. Iowa scored first with an RBI double from sophomore catcher Marissa Peek in the second inning. Senior designated player Brittany Ford hit an RBI double for Indiana to tie the game 1-1 after the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Benson hit a solo home run to give the Hoosiers a 2-1 lead.
Indiana trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning after Iowa catcher and pinch hitter Tristin Doster hit a two-run home run, but the Hoosiers scored six runs in the seventh to take a 8-3 lead. Peek started the comeback effort for Iowa with a solo home run, but the Hawkeyes didn’t score from there before losing to Indiana 8-4.
Day 3
Indiana wrapped up the weekend with a 5-0 victory against University of San Diego. Benson hit a RBI single in the first inning to give the Hoosiers an early 1-0 lead.
The Hoosiers then scored three runs in the third inning off Benson’s second RBI and a two-run RBI single by Ford. Indiana added one final run in the sixth inning when Dufek stole home during the bottom of the sixth.
The Hoosiers came into the weekend leading Division I in stolen bases with 51, and they added to that total with six in the win over San Diego.
Indiana will officially start Big Ten play this weekend with a series in Columbus, Ohio, against Ohio State.
