Indiana University Athletics
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Western Michigan University
Hoosiers Fall in Season Opener, 5-4
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Indiana softball team dropped its season-opening game to Western Michigan on Friday, 5-4.
After freshman Rebecca Blitz led off the first inning with her first career hit and stole second base, a single from Shannon Cawley brought her home for a 1-0 Indiana lead. That lead was extended when CaraMia Tsirigos hit a single to right field to score Cawley.
However, the Broncos responded with a big second inning as Western Michigan recorded five hits in the inning to take a 3-2 lead, an advantage they would never relinquish.
Western Michigan added another pair of runs in the third inning to take a 5-2 lead.
The Hoosiers would respond in the fifth as freshman Rachel O’Malley reached base for the first time in her Indiana career with a walk. Blitz’ s second hit of the night, followed by her second stolen base of the game, helped put runners on second and third as a wild pitch from Western Michigan’s Erin Binkowski brought in O’Malley to close the Indiana deficit to 5-3.
Senior pitcher Lora Olson struck out two batters in the top of the seventh as the Western Michigan went down in order.
The Hoosiers got a final chance in the bottom of the seventh as another Blitz single and back-to-back walks to Erin Lehman and Cawley loaded the bases with one out. However, groundouts from Tsirigos and Kassi Farmer ended the game.
Olson (0-1) picked up the loss, giving up five runs in seven innings pitched.
