After a 10-game winning streak, Indiana softball lost two straight games to No. 12 Texas Tech on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 at the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic. The Hoosiers look to get back on track this weekend when they travel to Clemson, South Carolina, for the Tiger Invitational.
The Hoosiers are slated to kick off the event with a prime bounce-back opportunity against struggling Lafayette College at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Leopards have yet to win a game this season, owning an 0-8 overall record headed into the invitational. Three of their losses have come against Florida International University, who defeated Indiana 4-3 in a tight contest Feb. 6. The Leopards are led by senior outfielder Mary Grace O’Neil, who earned Patriot League Softball Player of the Week honors for her play in the Panther Invitational last weekend.
Since 2008, Lafayette has endured 16- straight losing seasons. Beginning with Indiana, Lafayette eyes a season turnaround.
The Cream and Crimson are set to compete in a doubleheader on the second day of the invitational when they play East Carolina University in the first leg at noon Saturday. The game marks just the third all-time matchup between the two teams. Indiana won 5-4 in the last meeting in 2012 in Fullerton, California.
Coming off an impressive 38-19 record in 2024 — their best season since 2011 — the Pirates hold a 7-5 overall record entering the weekend. However, all five of their losses have come by no more than two runs. Indiana will face a tough pitching staff, which has allowed over six runs in a game just once this season. Their matchup with the Hoosiers will be their second game of a doubleheader, as the Pirates are set to take on Lafayette at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Hoosiers’ second leg of the doubleheader is a contest with Clemson University. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.
During the 2024 season, Indiana lost a close 2-3 battle to then-No. 5 Clemson in its second game of the year. The Tigers, who currently sit at 9-6 overall, have endured a tough schedule to start the year as they have faced multiple ranked opponents.
The Hoosiers have a tough assignment on their hands against the Tigers with sophomore infielder Julia Knowler in the batter’s box. The Fort Myers, Florida, native is currently tied for the most doubles in the country with 21.
Indiana will end the invitational Sunday at a time that has yet to be announced. The No. 4 and No. 3 seeds will face -off for third place at 10 a.m., while the top two seeds will compete for the Tiger Invitational Championship at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
The championship game and Indiana’s matchup with Clemson will be broadcasted by ACCNX, which can be streamed on ESPN+.
