Indiana Drops Heartbreaker to No. 23 Michigan on a Walk-Off

Sunday, April 7

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Indiana University

28-13, 3-6

Michigan

27-10, 9-0

Indiana

Michigan

Indiana Drops Heartbreaker to No. 23 Michigan on a Walk-Off

4/7/2019 6:19:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Indiana Softball fell to No. 23 Michigan on Sunday afternoon in heartbreaking fashion as the Wolverines use a two-run walk-off double to come away with a 7-6 win. The Hoosiers took a 6-4 lead into the final frame before Michigan came back to clinch the series finale.

KEY MOMENTS
• Michigan used a pair of two-out extra base hits to take a 2-0 lead in the opening inning. First, Alex Sobczak doubled to dead center to plate Natalie Peters before she was brought home on a triple from Mackenzie Nemitz.
• A two-run homer by IU sophomore Grayson Radcliffe tied up the game in the third as she brought in fellow sophomore Taylor Lambert, who reached on a bunt single.
• The Wolverines responded with a two-run homer from Sobczak in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 lead.
• The Hoosiers put together a four-run fourth frame to jump ahead, taking advantage of three hits, two hit batters, two walks and an error to take the lead. After junior Bella Norton was hit by a pitch, senior Sarah Galovich moved sophomore pinch runner Carolyn Kuhn over on a sacrifice bunt before she came home on a double to the left center gap off the bat of junior Katie Lacefield. Freshman Juvia Davis was hit by a pitch from reliever Meghan Beaubien before Lambert walked to load the bags. Radcliffe then singled to left to plate freshman pinch runner Paige Chitwood before the Wolverine left fielder misplayed the ball, allowing it to go all the way back to the fence and letting Lambert and Davis come home. IU continued to threaten on a bunt single from junior Gabbi Jenkins and an intentional walk to sophomore Maddie Westmoreland, but a strikeout and groundout limited the damage to a 6-4 IU lead.
• IU looked to add on to the advantage in the top of the seventh as singles from sophomore Annika Baez and Galovich put two on with one out, but the Hoosiers couldn't bring them around.
• After a one-out solo homer by Faith Canfield cut the Indiana lead to 6-5 in the seventh, a double by Natalie Peters and intentional walk to Sobczak put two Wolverines on the basepaths. Nemitz then hit a full-count double to right center to give the Wolverines the victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Radcliffe's home run was her sixth of the season and put her in a tie with Baez for the team lead. In addition, her three hits was a best for her time at Indiana and matches the career high she set last season with Marshall.
• With her walk in the fourth, Westmoreland extended her reached base streak to 12 games.
• The six IU runs are the most the Michigan pitching staff has surrendered since March 9 when the Wolverines also gave up six runs and it tied for the second-most the team has given up this season.
• Junior Emily Goodin took the loss as went 5.0 innings, starting the game then re-entering in the bottom of the third.
• Michigan's Beaubien earned the win, tossing 4.0 innings of relief.
• Indiana falls to 28-13 on the season and 3-6 in Big Ten while Michigan improves to 27-10 and 9-0 in conference.
• The teams played in front of a crowd of 2,152.

HEAD COACH SHONDA STANTON
"They jump out 4-2 and then we take the lead and just fight. There's nothing more fun in the game then a walk-off winner and there's nothing more that stings then to be on the wrong side of that.

On the whole, I really was pleased with our ballclub and how we competed today. This place was packed and this is what college athletics and college softball should be about – two very good ballclubs going at it. Unfortunately, we just didn't do enough and they did."

UP NEXT
Indiana returns to Andy Mohr Field on Wednesday for the start of a five-game homestand. The Hoosiers will host Purdue in a Wednesday doubleheader on Big Ten Network before playing host to Maryland for a three-game set during the weekend.