Offensive Outburst Propels Indiana to Series Sweep of Maryland

Saturday, April 14

College Park, Md.

1:00 PM ET

Indiana University

17-24, 0

Maryland

16-26, 0

Indiana

Maryland

Offensive Outburst Propels Indiana to Series Sweep of Maryland

4/14/2018 7:23:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF) - Game One Box Score (PDF) - Game Two

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Indiana Softball's bats continued to stay hot as the Hoosiers secured the series sweep of Maryland on Saturday, taking both games of the doubleheader, 9-3 and 9-1.

Combined with Friday's 10-1 victory, the Hoosiers outscored the Terrapins in the three-game set, 28-5.

With the wins, Indiana has now swept three of its first four Big Ten opponents this season, the most sweeps in a single year for the program since 2011. The Hoosiers improved to 10-2 in conference play, staying in second place in the conference standings.

"What I'm pleased with is each of our athletes are having their moment," said head coach Shonda Stanton. "If you look at our stats and our numbers, you're probably looking and saying 'how are we doing what we're doing?' It's just about being a team. Collectively, when we come together and play hard, take advantage of our opportunities, good things happen. That's what we saw this weekend. We were able to hit the long ball, we were able to play small ball, we were able to steal bases. I'm very proud of this group and what we were able to accomplish this weekend on the road."

Indiana 9, Maryland 3
IU knocked three home runs in game one, the most in a single contest this year, as sophomore Katie Lacefield and freshmen Taylor Lambert and Maddie Westmoreland all went deep.

Seniors Rebecca Blitz and Taylor Uden both collected two hits, while Lacefield and Westmoreland each brought in three runs.

After Blitz singled with one away in the third, she stole second base. Sophomore Gabbi Jenkins then drew a walk to set things up for Lacefield, who sent a three-run homer to right center to give Indiana a 3-0 lead. The home run was the second one of the season for Lacefield.

Trainer followed that up by earning a trio of strikeouts in the bottom of the third, getting to 501 on her career and becoming the fifth in program history to record at least 500. Trainer, who moved into fifth all-time in career strikeouts yesterday, finished the game with nine punchouts.

After a quiet fourth inning, IU looked to add on to the lead in the fifth as Jenkins turned on her speed to advance all the way to third on a Maryland error. Westmoreland then drew a walk but a flyout to center stranded the runners.

Maryland knocked a pair of single and drew a walk to load the bases with one outs in the home half of the fifth. After a strikeout by Trainer, Hannah Eslick cleared the bags to tie the game at 3-3 on a triple at the fence in left field.

However, the Hoosiers responded in a big way in the following frame as they put up a six-run sixth frame on five hits to take a commanding 9-3 lead. O'Malley got things started as she singled to lead off the inning before reaching second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Sarah Galovich. In to pinch hit, Bella Norton delivered a single through the left side to plate O'Malley and give Indiana back the lead. After a triple from Uden, Lambert knocked a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right center to make it 6-3 in favor of the Hoosiers. A bunt single by Blitz and a walk to Jenkins set it up for Westmoreland, who knocked her seventh home run of the season on a three-run long ball to left, capping the scoring for the Hoosiers.

Indiana 9, Maryland 1
In the series finale, IU led 2-1 through six innings until the Hoosiers broke it open with a seven-run final frame for a commanding 9-1 victory. Lambert and Norton both homered in the game, with Norton's three RBI tying her career high. Westmoreland, O'Malley and Galovich each put in multi-hit efforts, while Galovich and Jenkins each plated a pair of runs.

Sophomore Emily Goodin earned the win in the circle, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing just four hits and one run. Trainer earned the save as she pitched a hitless 2.0 innings to lock the game up.

Indiana got on the board early in game two as Westmoreland knocked a one-out double through the left side to score Jenkins.

The Hoosiers put baserunners on in the following two frames but couldn't take advantage until the fourth. After Galovich reached base on a throwing error on a dropped third strike, Norton walked and Uden singled to load the bases. Lambert then hit a groundball to second, resulting in a fielder's choice but allowing Galovich to come in to make it 2-0.

Maryland got one back in the home half of the fourth on an RBI single by Jacqui Pascual to score Brigette Nordberg, who reached on a Hoosier fielding error.

The Terrapins threated in the sixth after a leadoff double by Nordberg and a single from Eslick. A stolen base put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Trainer then stepped in the circle and collected a pair of strikeouts and pop-up in foul territory to get the Hoosiers out of the jam.

"Tara had a great day," said Stanton. "Coming out in the game one win then we got in a tight situation with no outs and had to bring her in there in the sixth, she was able to shut things down."

Indiana went to work in the seventh to put the game out of reach, scoring seven runs on five hits. A single by Jenkins, fielder's choice by Westmoreland and walk to Lacefield loaded the bases with one away. O'Malley then singled through the left side to plate Jenkins before a two-run single by Galovich brought in pinch runner Aimilia McDonough and Lacefield to push the lead to 5-1. Norton, a native of nearby McLean, Va., then knocked her second home run of the season on a three-run shot to left. The final Hoosier run of the day came off the bat of Lambert, whose fly ball knocked off the top of the wall in left center to extend IU's lead to 9-1.

The IU defense sent the Terrapins down in order in the bottom of the frame, thanks to a pair of spectacular catches by both Norton and Lambert.

"Lambert went yard a couple times this weekend for us and I'm really happy for Bella. It's nice to come in to your home territory and have the moment and weekend she did – going deep and coming up clutch in her two pinch hits in the games before that. Galovich played well all weekend, O'Malley played so hard for us. Up and down the lineup, so many kids did so many great things."

Indiana returns to Andy Mohr Field on Wednesday as the Hoosiers host Louisville at 5 p.m. All home games are free of charge.