Uden’s Solo Shot Helps IU Walk Off In Ninth Inning Over No. 15 Michigan

Saturday, April 28

Bloomington, Ind.

1:00 PM ET

Indiana University

24-26, 0

Michigan

39-8, 0

Michigan

Indiana

Uden’s Solo Shot Helps IU Walk Off In Ninth Inning Over No. 15 Michigan

4/28/2018 4:58:00 PM | Softball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior infielder Taylor Uden sent a solo shot over the left field fence in extra innings to defeat No. 15 Michigan, 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at Andy Mohr Field.

Indiana defeats its second ranked team of the season in the win, as they force the rubber match on Sunday. The Hoosiers also beat the highest ranked team since they defeated the No. 3 Wolverines on April 2, 2011. They did it in front of a new record crowd at Andy Mohr Field as 856 fans were in attendance for the walk off winner.

"The flags kind of went still before the pitch and there was a feel in the air that someone was going to do it," IU head coach Shonda Stanton said. "For Uden, a senior, to do it on a weekend like this was absolutely huge. I don't think what people appreciate is how much we have struggled through the season and the ups and downs. We ask them all the time to be strong enough for the journey and stay the course and Taylor walked it off and she will remember it for the rest of her life."

Uden went 2-for-4 on the day including her sixth home run of the season while sophomore utility Gabbi Jenkins also went 2-for-4. Uden and sophomore catcher Bella Norton each had two RBI as junior pitcher Tara Trainer earned the win, striking out six while pitching 7.1 innings in the victory.

Michigan struck early, capitalizing on two Hoosier errors in the first to take a 1-0 lead after the first. They would add on to its lead in the top of the fourth on a pair of singles with one out while a single by Madison Uden made it a 4-0 ballgame. Sophomore Emily Goodin came in relief of Trainer to close out the inning as Indiana would have the answer in the bottom half of the inning.

Jenkins and sophomore utility Katie Lacefield started off the inning with back-to-back singles. Senior shortstop Rachel O'Malley walked as Norton's single to shallow left sent Lacefield and Jenkins across home plate. Uden would follow up with her first RBI of the afternoon, another single into shallow left field to make a 4-3 after the fourth.

IU held the Wolverines to just one hit in the sixth as Trainer re-entered the game for IU. They would start off the bottom of the seventh by Norton reaching the bases on a hit by pitch. After a Michigan pitching change, Blitz would get aboard on a walk as Jenkins would single to left to score freshman pinch runner Makayla Ferrari to tie up the game with two outs. Michigan would get out of the inning to force extras as it went down in order in the top of the eighth.

The Hoosiers would get a runner on via a walk by junior utility Sarah Galovich but she wouldn't get brought around to go into the ninth. Trainer would get the Wolverines to go down again in order in the top of the ninth as Uden came to the plate to start the top of the inning and hit the home run on a 1-2 count.

The two teams meet again at 1 p.m. tomorrow to decide the series and battle for first place in the Big Ten. Admission to all Indiana Softball games are free.