Just one day after dominating Butler University 9-1, Indiana softball returned to action, making the trip north to West Lafayette for a doubleheader against Purdue.
Already on a 16-game winning streak, No. 24 Indiana swept Purdue despite trailing in both games of the twin bill. The Hoosiers won 8-5 and 5-4, respectively, to match the program record of 18 consecutive victories. Indiana also won both games of the doubleheader against the Boilermakers last season in Bloomington.
In game one, the Purdue bats got to sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland, scoring five runs off the righty to take a 5-1 lead after three innings.
Copeland was in line for her first loss of the season, but the Hoosiers responded with a five-run inning in the fourth. Copeland helped her case out by leading off the frame with a solo homer to left field to cut the deficit to three. Later in the inning, the Hoosiers had three straight run-scoring hits: a double from junior shortstop Brooke Benson, a single from senior utility player Cora Bassett and a home run from freshman infielder Taryn Kern to put Indiana up 6-5.
Kern went deep again in the seventh to pad Indiana’s lead, and Copeland had an RBI double later in the inning. Kern’s home run total, the best in the Big Ten, increased to 14.
Redshirt-sophomore pitcher Heather Johnson came in relief and threw four scoreless frames while striking out two. Since Indiana took the lead before Johnson stepped in the circle, the win was awarded to Copeland, who improved to a perfect 12-0 after also earning the win against Butler.
Game two was lower scoring, but again Indiana was behind, this time 3-1 after four innings. Copeland went deep in the fifth, her second of the day, to cut Purdue’s lead in half, and a pair of ground balls in the sixth gave the Hoosiers a 4-3 lead.
Freshman utility player Avery Parker hit a home run to center in the seventh to make it 5-3, which turned out to be the game-winning run as Purdue hit a solo shot of their own the next half inning, but Indiana freshman Sophie Kleiman nailed down the win, her first of the season. Kleiman pitched the final three innings, only giving up that one run in the seventh while striking out four.
The win streak of 18 matches the record set by the 1983 team, which made it to the Women’s College World Series.
Indiana will get the chance to break that record this weekend when Ohio State comes to Andy Mohr Field for a three-game series beginning Friday, pending weather. The series opener against the Buckeyes is scheduled for 6 p.m.
