Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Rutgers
Hoosiers Score Eight Unanswered to Defeat Rutgers
3/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Final Stats
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Down seven runs in the fifth inning, the Indiana softball team scored eight unanswered to defeat Rutgers on a walk-off single by Erin Lehman and pick up game two of the series, 8-7.
The seven-run deficit was the largest comeback since an 11-7 victory last year at Ohio State and ties that game as the biggest comeback in 20 years.
With the Scarlet Knights (11-8, 1-1 Big Ten) taking a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh, three straight Hoosiers (10-21, 1-1 Big Ten) reached base to lead off the frame. With the bases loaded, Taylor Uden was hit by a pitch to bring in Alyssa Rosati and cut the deficit to 7-6 before a walk to Rebecca Blitz tied the game by bringing in Kayla Mathewson. After Brianna Meyer flied out the left field, Lehman stepped up and hit the game-winner, an RBI single to left to score Katelyn Conenna.
Rutgers came out of the game swinging, scoring a run in the second before plating four in the third inning to take an early 5-0 lead. In the third frame, the Scarlet Knights plated two on back-to-back RBI singles by Jordan Whitley and Melanie Slowinski. Two batters later, Carly Todd brought in two runners on an RBI single of her own.
The Scarlet Knights added two more in the top of the fifth on a pair of solo homers by Slowinski and Elizabeth Adams.
From there the Hoosiers took over, hitting four straight singles to lead off the fifth, including RBI singles by Blitz and Meyer. A Shannon Cawley single to left field scored Uden to cut the Rutgers' deficit down to 7-3.
Indiana added two more runs in the sixth after Sarah Thompson scored on a Rutgers error and Meyer knocked an RBI single to bring in Blitz, setting up the three-run decisive final frame.
Miranda Tamayo picked up the win for Indiana, tossing 4.2 relief innings and giving up just two runs on six hits.
Blitz paced the offense for the Hoosiers, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Meyer, Lehman, Cawley and O'Malley also recorded multiple hits in the game.
The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights wrap up their three-game series tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at Andy Mohr Field.
Media contact: Caitlin Davis, davis288@indiana.edu
