Hoosiers Fall in Final Game of Regular Season

Monday, May 8

1:00 PM ET

Indiana University

23-30, 0

Michigan State University

29-21, 0

Michigan State

Indiana

5/8/2017 4:04:00 PM | Softball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Softball (23-30, 9-14 Big Ten) fell to Michigan State (29-21, 11-12 Big Ten) in Monday's regular season finale, 8-0.

The two teams will square off again in this week's Big Ten Tournament. The No. 10 seeded Hoosiers will play the No. 7 seeded Spartans on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET in the First Round. All games of the 2017 Big Ten Tournament will be played at Wilpon Complex in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Junior Rebecca Blitz and freshman Gabbi Jenkins led the Indiana offense as they both collected a pair of hits in the game.

MSU started the contest by drawing a pair of walks in the first, but sophomore Tara Trainer got out of the jam on a groundout. Trainer surrendered one earned run and walked five while collecting three strikeouts in the loss.

Indiana responded in the bottom of the first by putting runners on the corners with no outs after singles by Jenkins and Blitz and a MSU throwing error. However, after Blitz was caught stealing, a pair of pop-ups ended the inning.

Lexi White put the Spartans on top in the second as she knocked a two-out solo homer to dead center. A Hoosier throwing error extended the inning before McKenzie Long singled down the right field line to plate a second run. On the play, another IU throwing error allowed the third run to cross as the throw sailed past home plate.

The Spartans extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth as Kelly Zackrison hit a two-out RBI single to left.

After reliever Emily Goodin earned the first 1-2-3 inning of the day, Indiana looked to respond in the fifth as the Hoosiers loaded the bases on singles by freshmen Bella Norton and Gabbi Jenkins, followed by a walk to senior CaraMia Tsirigos. However, a fielder's choice left them loaded.

One inning later, a one-out RBI single by Kelcey Caarrasco and a two-run double from Zackrison made it 7-0. White's second homer of the day led off the seventh frame to give the Spartans an 8-0 advantage.

Three Spartans pitchers combined for the shutout with Bridgette Rainey earning the win in relief.

The 2017 Big Ten Tournament is single elimination with the winner of the Indiana-Michigan State contest scheduled to play No. 2 seeded Michigan in the Quarterfinals. All games of the Tournament will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.