Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Penn State
Indiana Completes Sweep at Penn State, 7-4
4/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Indiana softball team completed its three-game sweep of Penn State on Sunday afternoon in University Park, 7-4.
The perfect weekend is the first Big Ten sweep for the Hoosiers since a three-game set at Michigan State closed out the season in 2012.
Senior pitcher Lora Olson picked up her third victory of the series, tossing 5.1 innings and giving up just two runs and a walk. For the second straight game, senior Miranda Tamayo earned the save in 1.2 innings of work.
Following three consecutive lead-off walks in the second inning to juniors Kelsey Dotson, Katelyn Conenna and Michelle Huber, sophomore CaraMia Tsirigos and freshman Taylor Uden hit a pair of singles up the middle to give Indiana (14-28, 5-7 B1G) a 2-0 lead. Freshman Rebecca Blitz added a third run on a sacrifice fly in foul territory to score Huber from third.
The Nittany Lions (21-19, 4-8 B1G) answered quickly in the bottom of the frame as Kristina Brackpool scored Erin Pond on an RBI double down the left field line. Brackpool was then brought in on an RBI in-field single by Lexi Knief to cut the Indiana lead down to 3-2.
After Dotson hit a one-out double in the third, the Hoosiers pushed their advantage up to 4-2 on Conenna's RBI single to left field. One inning later, sophomore Erin Lehman plated freshman Rebecca Blitz, who had reach on a perfectly-placed two-out bunt.
Penn State looked to answer in the bottom of the fourth, knocking a pair of back-to-back two-out singles, however Olson forced Mollie Sorenson into a ground out to end the threat.
A game after setting the program's single-season home run record with 41 homers, two Hoosiers went yard in the final inning to extend the lead to 7-2. Conenna and Huber, who each hit two homers in the series, hit back-to-back solo shots to push Indiana's season total to 43. The duo's homers marks the 13th time this season that Indiana has recorded multiple home runs in a game.
The Nittany Lions's Brackpool plated two runs in the bottom of the final frame on a single off the third base bag, but Penn State would get no closer as a fly out to left secured the win.
Indiana returns to action next weekend as the Hoosiers travel to Ann Arbor to face No. 4-ranked Michigan.
Media contact: Caitlin Davis, davis288@indiana.edu
