Hoosiers Break Record for Best Start in Program History

Saturday, February 23

Macon, Ga.

2:30 PM

Indiana University

12-0

North Carolina A&T State

0-4

Indiana

North Carolina A&T

Hoosiers Break Record for Best Start in Program History

2/24/2019 12:39:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF) - NC A&T Box Score (PDF) - Mercer

MACON, Ga. – The No. 19-ranked Indiana Softball team pushed its record to 13-0 on Saturday, defeating North Carolina A&T, 7-1, before taking down Mercer in 11 innings, 8-7. Indiana is officially off to the best start in program history, surpassing the 11-0 start from the 1990 team.

In addition, the 13-game winning streak is the best since a 15-game streak in 2011.

Game One: No. 19 Indiana 7, North Carolina A&T 1
KEY MOMENTS
• Sophomore Camryn Woodall put IU on the board early on a solo home run in the first frame.
• IU tacked on another run in the second after some confusion amongst the umpiring crew. After sophomore Annika Baez drew a walk, pinch runner Tete Hart advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Grayson Radcliffe. She then stole third and came home on a throwing error by the Aggies. The umpire crew appeared to call her out for leaving base early, but ultimately called her safe at home.
• North Carolina A&T got one run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Vivica Boyd to score Alyssa Green.
• Sophomore Annika Baez pushed Indiana's lead to 3-1 in the fourth as she knocked a solo homer to centerfield. Baez also homered on Friday against Akron and now has three in her career.
• IU broke the game open in the sixth as the Hoosiers plated four runs in the inning. A third IU solo home run came off the bat of junior Bella Norton on a deep shot to centerfield with one out. Junior Gabbi Jenkins then drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to score Radcliffe before Lambert took the first pitch she saw back up the middle to score Makayla Ferrari and Juvia Davis.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Junior Emily Goodin earned the win for IU in the circle, as she went 5.0 innings of relief. Goodin fanned a career-high 11 batters in her third win of the season.
• Woodall led the bats with a pair of hits and a run scored. Meanwhile Baez drew a pair of walks to go along with her home run.
• The win officially broke the record for the best start in Indiana program history.

Game Two: No. 19 Indiana 8, Mercer 7 (11 inn.)
KEY MOMENTS
• Indiana overcame a 5-0 third-inning deficit to send the game to extra innings, ultimately winning in the 11^th frame.
• Hart scored the winning run for the Hoosiers in the 11^th as she came all the way home on a throwing error from the Mercer catcher.
• The Bears put up three runs in the second inning, taking advantage of a pair of IU fielding errors, as well as an RBI single by Tori Ash. Mercer added two more runs in the third on a home run by Abby Walsh to extend the lead.
• Indiana began chipping away at the deficit in the fifth, sparked by an RBI double by Lambert to plate Hart. Woodall then stepped up to hit her second home run of the day on a two-run shot to cut the Mercer lead to 5-3.
• The Hoosiers tied things up in the seventh as Lacefield sent a one-out two-run home run to right center, scoring Lambert who had reached on a leadoff double.
• Both teams had a quiet eighth and ninth frame before Radcliffe collected the third home run of the day for Indiana with a two-run shot to left, plating Galovich. The teams played with international tiebreak in effect, meaning Galovich started the inning at second base.
• The Bears responded as two runs came in an RBI single by Allie Jones, coupled with a Hoosier fielding error to tie the game at 7-7.
• IU ended the game in the next inning as Hart came home on the error by Mercer.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The five-run deficit was the largest for the Hoosiers this season.
• Senior Tara Trainer earned the victory as she pitched the final 7.0 innings, tying her career high with 16 strikeouts, which she set against Samford in 2018.
• Emily Goodin provided 1.1 innings of scoreless relief prior to Trainer entering the game. In Goodin's five appearances this season, she has yet to give up an earned run in 12.0 innings of work.
• Indiana has hit three home runs in three separate games this weekend, bring the season total to 15.
• Lacefield has four of those home runs, upping her season total to five.
• IU saw multi-hit performances from five different Hoosiers – Lacefield, Lambert, Woodall, Radcliffe and sophomore Maddie Westmoreland.

UP NEXT
Indiana wraps up play in the Black & Orange Challenge on Sunday as the Hoosiers face Loyola Chicago at 11 a.m. It's a rematch of Friday's 1-0 Indiana victory as IU delivered the Ramblers their first loss of the season.