Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Hosts Michigan State in Final Home Slate
4/24/2015 2:01:00 PM | Softball
| Michigan State (16-31, 1-17 B1G) at Indiana (15-33, 5-10 B1G) | |
| Date | April 24/26 |
| Location | Andy Mohr Field |
| Game 1 (Friday) | 4 p.m. ET | GameTracker | BTN Plus |
| Game 2 (Friday) | 6 p.m. ET | GameTracker | BTN Plus |
| Game 3 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. ET | GameTracker | Listen Live |
| Home Promos | Strikeout Cancer (Friday) | Senior Day (Sunday) |
| Game Notes | Indiana |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana softball plays host to Michigan State this weekend in the final matchup of the 2015 home slate. Due to projected rain on Saturday, Indiana and Michigan State will open competition with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday. The teams will play Sunday's game at 1 p.m. as scheduled.
The Last Meeting
April 9, 2014 Bloomington, Ind.
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Behind a career-high, 13-strikeout performance from Stay tuned to IUHoosiers.com and @IUSoftball for all the latest news and info from Andy Mohr Field.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hoosiers played a trio of mid-week games this week, traveling to Ball State on Tuesday before hosting Purdue for a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Despite a 3-for-3 effort from sophomore Erin Lehman in Muncie, the Hoosiers dropped a shortened game to Ball State in five innings, 19-9. Indiana bounced back quickly as the team used a pair of three-run homers, including a walk-off blast by freshmanMena Fulton, to defeat Purdue in game one, 6-3. In game two, senior pitcher Lora Olson allowed just two earned runs off five hits, but the Boilermakers picked up the game-winning run on an RBI single by Alyssa Koorsen in the top of the seventh.
The Purdue doubleheader was originally scheduled for April 8, but was postponed in the top of the first inning due to thunderstorms. Due to the timing of the rescheduled games, the contests will not count as conference games and will not affect either team's conference record.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Michigan State started the year with a 15-12 mark, but has struggled since, going 1-19 since a 12-0 win against Alabama A&M on March 15. The Spartans' skid includes a current 14-game losing streak. Michigan State's lone Big Ten win came in a 8-6 victory in the series finale against Penn State on March 29.
Lea Foerster, who is hitting .333, leads the team offensively with 51 hits and 33 runs scored. Her 12 doubles ties for 10th best in the conference. Five other Spartans - Alyssa McBride (35), Sarah Gutknecht (35), McKinzie Freimuth (38), McKenzie Long (35) and Stephanie Sanders (35) - have recorded at least 35 hits on the year. Kassidy Kujawa currently leads the team in homers with eight this season. Kristina Zalewski has carried most of the pitching duties this season, accumulating a 12-13 record with a 3.41 ERA in 36 appearances. Valeria Kaff is second in appearances with 26 and has a 6.56 ERA and 2-6 record.
Indiana and Michigan State split a doubleheader last season at Andy Mohr Field. The Spartans picked up the first game, 5-3, before Indiana pitcher Meaghan Murphy threw 13 strikeouts to guide the Hoosiers to a 7-3 victory in the finale.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Friday's contests against the Spartans will be Indiana's Strikeout Cancer game, with the goal of raising awareness for breast cancer. Free pink t-shirts will be given out to the first 100 fans in attendance.
The Sunday finale will include a special pre-game ceremony for Indiana seniors Miranda Tamayo, Lora Olsonand Brianna Meyer as the trio prepare for their final home game of their Indiana careers. Here's a look at their time as a Hoosier:
Lora Olson
After a pair of starts this week, senior pitcher Lora Olson has now started 36 games this season, tied for fifth in a single season in program history. Her 111 career starts ranks third all-time in Indiana program history and she is one of only three Hoosiers to start at least 100 games in a career, joining Amy Unterbrink and Gina Ugo. Olson's 145 career appearances moves her into fourth place all-time.
One more win will send Olson into for a 7th-place tie with Janelle Campbell and Mariangee Bogado for career victories at 39.
Miranda Tamayo
Tamayo is coming off a pair of complete game performances, her first in her career. Tamayo's impressive showing in game one of the doubleheader against Purdue was the longest outing of her career, as she threw all seven innings, giving up just two earned runs in her fifth win of the year.
Tamayo has thrown 72 strikeouts this season, making 11 starts and appearing in 41 contests.
Brianna Meyer
Meyer has made 33 starts this season and has appeared in 40 games, recording 25 hits and scoring 17 runs. In her four years as a Hoosier, Meyer is hitting .281 with 149 hits, 92 runs, 69 RBI and eight home runs. Her 109 career walks ranks second all-time in Indiana history behind Michelle Venturella.
FULTON FINISHES PURDUE
Bloomington native Mena Fulton picked up her first walk-off hit in her career as she belted a three-run homer to defeat the Boilermakers on Wednesday, 6-3. Fulton's three RBI in the game tied a career high set in a 10-7 victory against Austin Peay on March 7.
BLITZING THE DEFENSE
Blitz is the lone Hoosier to start in all 48 games this season. The centerfielder not only makes spectacular plays in the outfield, she also gives the opponent's defense a tough assignment. The Birmingham, Ala. native leads the team with 52 base knocks and has scored 35 runs starting primarily in the lead-off spot.
TSIRIGOS HEATING UP
Sparked by her grand slam against Penn State on April 11, sophomore CaraMia Tsirigos has picked up a hit in six out of the last eight games. During Indiana's game at Ball State on April 21, Tsirigos had a hit, a run and three walks. In the first 40 games Tsirigos played this season, she hit .189 with 14 hits and 10 RBI, however in the last eight games, she has batted .316 with six hits and six RBI to raise her average to .215 on the year.
HOOSIERS DIG THE LONG BALL
With Tsirigos' grand slam on April 11 at Penn State, Indiana set a new program single-season record for home runs with 41. The previous high of 40 was set back in 2006.
Led by Dotson's 10 home runs, 10 different Hoosiers have homered this season. Tsirigos' grand slam in the April 11th win was her first of the year and fifth of the season for Indiana. Kelsey Dotson, Conenna andShannon Cawley (2) have also smashed grand slams this season.
Indiana picked up a pair of home runs in game one against Purdue on April 22, marking the 14th time this season they have hit multiple homers in a game.
WHAT ELSE IS ON TAP FOR 2015?
The last week of the regular season will see Indiana head to Indiana State on April 28 before visiting Ohio State May 1-3.
The 2015 Big Ten Tournament will take place May 7-10 in Columbus, Ohio.
Media Contact: Caitlin Davis, davis288@indiana.edu
