Indiana softball lost its first home game of the season to No. 25-ranked University of Notre Dame on Tuesday.
“We had a couple of chances to put the game away but we didn’t,” head coach Shonda Stanton said. “When you allow a top program to get back in the game and tie it up, they (take) advantage of it.”
Notre Dame freshman shortstop Anna Holloway batted in the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. Notre Dame junior second baseman Miranda Johnson then hit a sacrifice fly to score one more and take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.
In the bottom of the second, Indiana sophomore shortstop Brooke Benson was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to drive in the first run for Indiana. Indiana sophomore second baseman Cora Bassett then hit a two-run RBI single to give Indiana a 3-2 lead..
Scoring subsided until the top of the sixth inning when Notre Dame junior third baseman Joley Mitchell hit a single to tie the game 3-3. Notre Dame increased its lead to 4-3 after sophomore Karina Gaskins hit a single to drive in another run.
The lead continued to tie and change as Indiana graduate student third baseman Grayson Radcliffe hit an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game 4-4 and force the game into extra innings.
“For us, I think it’s just about continuing to fight,” Radcliffe said. “One swing of the bat and we’re back in the game.”
In the top of the eighth inning, Notre Dame graduate student center fielder Abby Sweet hit a two-run RBI triple to give the Irish a 6-4 lead. Junior left fielder Leea Hanks hit an RBI double to make the score 7-4 and Gaskins drove in the final run for the Irish to extend their lead to 8-4.
Benson hit an RBI double for the final run of the night, but Notre Dame prevented any more Hoosiers from scoring and secured the 8-5 victory.
In a quick turnaround, Indiana softball will take on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Andy Mohr Field. The game will be broadcast on BTN+.
