Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
No. 25 Northwestern
Hoosiers Drop Heartbreaker At No. 25 Northwestern
4/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2014
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Sharon J. Drysdale Field)
Score: Northwestern 3, Indiana 2
Records: Indiana 13-33-1 (4-13 B1G), Northwestern 27-11 (9-6 B1G)
Next IU Event: Wednesday, April 23 vs. Louisville (Andy Mohr Field) 6 p.m. ET
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Hoosiers remained within striking distance in their game with No. 25 Northwestern this afternoon, but a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh dealt the Indiana softball team a 3-2 loss in the series final with the Wildcats. Indiana drops to 13-33-1 on the year and 4-13 in Big Ten Conference games, while Northwestern improves to 27-11 (9-6 B1G).
The Hoosiers relied on a collaborative effort of its entire pitching staff in today’s game and sent all three of their hurlers into the circle. Lora Olson opened the first 2.0 innings for the Hoosiers and surrendered two earned on four hits while striking out three. Meaghan Murphy entered in the third inning and provided a solid 3.2 shutout innings in relief. Brooke Boetjer (3-6) closed out the final 0.2 innings with a strikeout and one run against her.
Indiana registered five hits in the ball game, including an RBI-triple by Shelby Gogreve. Kelsey Dotson plated the Hoosiers other run on a squeeze bunt, while Alyssa Rosati and Gogreve scored runs for Indiana. Brianna Meyer reached base for the 17th-straight game with a walk in the sixth inning, tying teammate Shannon Cawley’s 17-game stretch during the 2012 campaign.
The Wildcats used three hits in the second to take a 2-0 lead over Indiana. Northwestern’s Lebeau was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A single up the middle gave NU a 1-0 lead which was followed by a pair of Wildcat hits that attributed to another run to give the home team a 2-0 edge.
Indiana’s offense executed at the dish to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning. Tsirigos led off the frame with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Rosati. Gogreve connected on an RBI- triple to right-center, allowing Rosati to showcase her speed on the base paths as she hustled from first to score for the Hoosiers’ first run of the contest. Dotson tied the ballgame in the following at bat on a perfectly placed squeeze bunt back to the circle. Gogreve sprinted home safely to tie the game at 2-2.
An amazing defensive play in the bottom of the sixth kept this contest tied at 2-2. With bases loaded and two outs, Northwestern’s Mari Majam connected on a softly hit single to left that showed promise to break this game open for the Wildcats, but left fielder Jenna Abraham made an inning-ending diving catch to maintain the tie score.
The Wildcats answered with an inning-ending play of their own in the top of the seventh. After the Hoosiers placed base runners on first and second, Breanna Saucedo came through with a two-out single to center field. Gogreve was waved around from second on the hit, but the throw home beat her to the plate for the final out of the inning.
That momentum carried over into the bottom of the seventh for the home team, as the Wildcats started the inning with bases loaded and no outs. Boetjer’s strikeout got the Hoosiers two outs closer to extra innings, but a walk-off single from Paige Tonz lifted the Wildcats in the series finale, 3-2.
Indiana will return to action on Wednesday, April 23 in a 6 p.m. matchup with Louisville at Andy Mohr Field.
