Softball Splits Final Day of Hoosier Classic

Sunday, March 20

2:30 PM

Indiana University

16-9

Western Illinois University

7-21

Western Illinois

Indiana

3/20/2016 9:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trailing 7-0 in the first inning against Western Illinois, Indiana Softball scored 11 answered runs in an 11-8 comeback victory, before falling to Wright State, 4-1, in the final game of the Hoosier Classic.

In game one, the Fighting Leathernecks used a Hoosier error, two singles, a pair of doubles and a two-run home run to jump out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning. Six of Western Illinois' first-inning runs came with two outs.

Freshman pitcher Tara Trainer then stepped into the circle and tossed a stellar game, going 6.1 innings and allowing just one run on two hits with five strikeouts. The only run she surrendered came on a seventh-inning RBI single.

The Hoosier bats chipped away at the deficit, plating a single run in the first before scoring two in the second, third and fourth innings and exploding for four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. IU saw four different runners plate more than one run, led by three runs from sophomore Rebecca Blitz. Additionally, Indiana was sparked by a 3-for-4, four RBI performance from junior Erin Lehman.

Indiana's first run of the game came as Blitz scored on a Western Illinois throwing error in the first. In the next inning, Blitz again came up big as she smoked a double to left-center, plating sophomore Rachel O'Malley and senior Michelle Huber to cut the Western Illinois lead down to 7-3.

Junior CaraMia Tsirigos knocked her third home run of the year in the following frame, as her two-run shot to right-center brought in Lehman.

Lehman tied up the ball game in the fourth as she collected two RBI on a single to right field to bring in Blitz's third run of the day and freshman Sara Galovich.

IU's biggest inning came in the fifth as the Hoosiers used three hits and a pair of Leatherneck errors to take an 11-7 lead. First, senior Kassi Farmer sent a one-out double to bring in Huber and make it 8-7. O'Malley then scored as Blitz reached base on a fielding error. For the second straight inning, Lehman used an RBI single to right to plate Blitz and Galovich.

The seven-run comeback is the most since the Hoosiers scored eight unanswered in an 8-7 win against Rutgers on March 21, 2015. That game, along with a 2014 victory against Ohio State, ties Sunday's victory for the largest comeback win in 20 years. Additionally, Indiana's 11 runs marks the most in a game this season.

Unlike the first game, the meeting against Wright State did not feature the same offensive firepower, as the Hoosiers were unable to plate a run until the sixth frame.

The Raiders took an early lead as Honnah Susor sent a two-run double to left-center in the second inning.

Indiana looked to answer in the bottom of the frame as Farmer and Huber both singled with one out, but a lineout and flyout ended the threat.

Wright State doubled its lead in the fourth as an Indiana error allowed two runs to score after a fielding miscue on a single by Vivi Marquez to right field.

After Blitz led off the sixth with a double to left, she advanced to third on a flyout by Lehman. She scored as Tsirigos hit a bloop single to the Wright State third baseman. However, the Hoosiers were unable to get any closer.

Indiana (16-10) returns to action this Wednesday to play host to Indiana State in the final tune-up before conference play begins next weekend against Iowa.