Senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland started in the circle for Indiana softball Thursday night as the Hoosiers began their 2025 regular season against Florida International University during the first day of the Felsberg Invitational in Miami.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Indiana surrendered four runs across the final five innings, including an error in the final inning, to lose its season opener 4-3 at Felsberg Field.
Top transfer addition and junior outfielder Melina Wilkison began her Indiana career with a hit, blasting a double to the center field wall in the first inning.
Junior catcher Avery Parker opened the scoring for the Hoosiers in the third, hitting a double to right center field that drove senior outfielder Taylor Minnick and Copeland in to score.
In the bottom of the third inning, FIU sophomore outfielder Kally Meredith scored after a groundout by sophomore Kendall Catherwood.
While the Panthers evened the score in the fourth inning with senior outfielder Collier Peaden’s RBI single, the Hoosiers quickly retook the lead in the fifth inning off the bat of senior first baseman Sarah Stone. The Bedford, Indiana, native hit a line drive up the middle as Wilkison rounded the bases to give her team a 3-2 lead.
FIU tied the game at 3 in the bottom of the fifth inning on senior first baseman Janelle Martinez’s sacrifice fly, which drove in senior pinch runner Lindsey Burroughs.
After scoring three runs in the first five innings, the Hoosiers failed to bring a player across the plate in the final two innings, stranding two runners on base in the process.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Indiana sophomore third baseman Alex Cooper scooped up a chopper and threw out a runner racing to home plate. After fielding Cooper’s play, Parker made a throwing error, which allowed Martinez to reach first and gave senior Kennedy Byrd time to cross home plate, securing a walk-off victory for FIU.
Across seven innings, Indiana tallied eight total hits with seven different Hoosiers contributing at least one. Copeland, who was named on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year watchlist in January, tallied five strikeouts while allowing three earned runs through 6 1/3 innings. In addition to her effort in the circle, Copeland reached safely twice, recording one hit and a walk in three plate appearances.
The Hoosiers look to bounce back on day two of the invitational in a matchup with Stony Brook University.
