Indiana softball started off its home season going 3-1 in The Hoosier Classic this weekend featuring Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin, Purdue Fort Wayne and IUPUI.
The large crowd at Andy Mohr Field welcomed its team home with open arms on a beautiful spring day. The Hoosiers showed their appreciation in their first game against Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Macy Montgomery excelled on the mound, recording four strikeouts and getting her third win of the season. Montgomery also pitched a season-high five innings providing an essential performance in the circle for Indiana.
Brianna Copeland is another who continues to impress. Not only did her quick reflexes produce key outs for the Hoosiers on defense, but she also was responsible for over half of the team’s runs. Copeland added a fourth home run to her season total as well as an RBI triple.
“In week three I was really hoping to get a home run and I didn’t,” Copeland said. “[I] just came out here swinging as hard as I could, I was glad to get a home run. It feels great to be back at home.”
Indiana defeated Wisconsin Green Bay 3-1, but failed to keep that momentum through to the next day.
Against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers exhausted all their options on the mound, going through five pitchers in five innings.
On offense, Aaliyah Andrews hit a soaring triple to right field but Indiana could not capitalize off of it. Taylor Minnick’s RBI single was the only run Indiana put up in the first game of the day, leading to a final score of 12-1.
Indiana did not let that major loss affect them. In the second game of the day Purdue Fort Wayne struck first, giving them the early lead, but Sarah Stone answered for the Hoosiers, clearing the bases with a three-run home run. Indiana continued to bully the Mastodons in the bottom of the third. A total of seven runs extended the Hoosiers’ lead to nine.
A quick three outs in the beginning of the fifth gave pitcher Heather Johnson a win and brought the end of the game for Indiana, invoking the same run rule that had ended the previous game, for a final of 10-1.
“Our group is super prepared,” Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said. “We know the plan, and now we have to do a better job of hunting the plan.”
On the final day of The Hoosier Classic, Indiana faced a local opponent, IUPUI. The Jaguars came out swinging with their first batter hitting a home run. It did not faze the Hoosiers. Stone answered, recording two RBIs. She was not the only one. Cora Bassett and Taryn Kern also recorded two RBIs throughout the game along with Mitchell recording three RBIs.
Copeland recorded another win on the mound including two strikeouts.
To end the game, freshman Kern sent a ball flying for the fences for a home run, ending the game with a final score of 10-2.
Overall, Indiana showed a lot of promise this weekend. The Hoosiers showcased a lot of young talent from people such as Copeland and Kern. Freshman Avery Parker had a great throw from behind the plate to second to catch a stealing runner as well. Although Indiana has faced a lot of tough competition in the beginning of the season, there have been a lot of positive takeaways before getting into Big Ten play.
Indiana wraps up its weekend with a 3-1 home record, 9-9 on the season overall. The Hoosiers are back on the road this upcoming weekend, heading down to Nashville for the Lipscomb Tournament.
