Indiana softball headed down south to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from Thursday to Saturday to compete in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge. However, the weather wasn’t the only thing hot this weekend.
The Hoosiers’ offense came out fiery and stayed strong throughout all three days of play, resulting in a 4-0 weekend to extend their win streak to eight games.
With eight new freshmen additions, a First Team All-Big Ten transfer and the return of seven of its nine starters from last season, this Indiana roster has the pieces for an explosive offense.
Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton described her team during the preseason as “one of the most potent offenses you’re going to find around.” So far, they have proved themselves.
Ahead of the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, the Hoosiers had already put together three run-rule wins. However, after another weekend of play, the Hoosiers extended that total to four.
On Thursday, Indiana opened its weekend with a dominant run rule performance against North Dakota State University. The Hoosiers scored 10 runs off 11 hits and outhit North Dakota State 11-2. In this matchup alone, five different Hoosiers recorded an RBI, headlined by redshirt junior outfielder Melina Wilkison and junior catcher Avery Parker.
Indiana carried its offensive efficiency into Friday, outhitting both of its opponents by a combined 10 hits.
The Hoosiers first faced Illinois State University on Friday when they trailed 2-0 through four innings of play. However, Indiana managed to storm back and score a combined six runs in the fifth and sixth innings, defeating Illinois State 6-5.
Indiana kept its offense going and came out swinging in its second game of the day Friday. The Hoosiers managed to out-hit Boise State University by a total of six hits and tallied three home runs by Parker, Wilkison and senior first baseman Sarah Stone. Senior outfielder Taylor Minnick had an impressive offensive game as well, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Indiana’s offense continued to shine on its last day of the tournament, defeating Brigham Young University 3-0. The Hoosiers outhit BYU by a total of nine hits to five.
Senior outfielder Kinsey Mitchell’s hitting performance against BYU stood out as she led the team in batting average with an impressive .545. However, the Hoosiers overall had a balanced offensive performance as Wilkison, Minnick and sophomore utility player Aly VanBrandt each had two hits.
In addition to its strong hitting, Indiana also tallied two total stolen bases against BYU thanks to Wilkison and outfielder Cassidy Kettleman, contributing to its overall offensive efficiency.
The Hoosiers look to extend their win streak at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Lubbock, Texas, as they face the University of Texas at El Paso in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic.
