Indiana softball went 1-2 in its three-game series at Wisconsin this weekend. The results move the Hoosiers to a 19-10 record this season and a 2-4 record in Big Ten play.
The Hoosiers’ first two contests of the series were split 1-1 in a doubleheader Friday evening.
The first game saw Indiana jump out to an early 3-1 lead after the first inning, but Wisconsin chipped away before gaining control. Wisconsin junior infielder Fiona Girardot hit an RBI single to tie the score 3-3 in the third inning, then hit a two-run home run to put Wisconsin ahead 5-3 in the fifth inning.
The Hoosiers scored once in the sixth inning, but the Badgers responded with two more runs to extend the lead to 7-4. Indiana tacked on one more run but ran out of time, losing 7-5 in the series opener.
The second game of the doubleheader resulted in a stronger performance down the stretch for Indiana. Wisconsin jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but a four-run third inning gave Indiana a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Related: [Missed opportunities overshadow individual performances for Indiana softball against Wisconsin]
A two-hit, four-RBI outing from Hoosier freshman outfielder Taylor Minnick sparked Indiana’s 7-4 victory to tie the series. Sophomore pitcher Macy Montgomery nearly pitched a complete game, going for 6.1 innings and striking out nine Wisconsin batters. Freshman pitcher Heather Johnson pitched the final two outs for the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s series finale Sunday afternoon was an eventful game. The first run of the game didn’t come until the top of the third inning, when Indiana sophomore outfielder Aaliyah Andrews hit a single and stole second, third and home base to put the Hoosiers up 1-0.
In the same inning, Indiana sophomore infielder Brooke Benson and Wisconsin sophomore catcher Christaana Angelopulos collided at home plate as Benson attempted to score, and the play resulted in an out. Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton was ejected from the dugout for the game after arguing with the umpires about the result of the play.
Angelopulos responded for the Badgers by hitting a solo home run to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning. After a few more innings of what became a pitcher’s duel between the two teams, Angelopulos homered again — this time a three-run shot. A few batters later, senior infielder Kayla Konwent sent another ball past the fence, giving the Badgers a 6-1 lead.
Minnick was able to drive in a run in the top of the seventh inning for the Hoosiers, but that was all they could produce in the finale. In the 6-2 loss, Indiana left eight runners stranded on base, while all six of Wisconsin’s runs were driven in by home runs.
The results bolstered Wisconsin’s record to 20-8 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, Indiana is still searching for consistency.
Next on the schedule for Indiana is a return to Bloomington for a three-game series against Rutgers on April 8-10 at Andy Mohr Field.
