Norton Blasts Two Home Runs, Hoosiers Split Doubleheader with Illinois

Friday, April 23

Champaign, Ill.

4:00 PM

Indiana University

14-15, 0

Illinois

19-10, 0

Indiana

Illinois

Norton Blasts Two Home Runs, Hoosiers Split Doubleheader with Illinois

4/23/2021 9:33:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Bella Norton homered twice and Taylor Lambert and Grayson Radcliffe each added long shots as the Indiana softball team split two games with Illinois to open the four-game series. Illinois won game one, 7-5 and the Hoosiers took game two, 7-2.

Game One: Illinois 7, Indiana 5
KEY MOMENTS
• The fighting inning got out to a 5-0 lead after two innings by scoring one in the first and four in the second.
• In the top half of the fourth inning Grayson Radcliffe walked and Bella Norton sent a shot over the left field wall for a two-run home run to bring Indiana within three at 5-2.
• The Indiana offense exploded in the fifth inning for three runs. The Hoosiers started off with three pitch hitters. Macy Montgomery and Desiree Dufek walked and Juvia Davis put down a sac bunt to advance the runners. Taylor Lambert hit an RBI single and Gabbi Jenkins brought two more home with a double, to tie the game 5-5.
• Illinois scored the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the fifth on a sac fly and added an additional run with an RBI single to go up 7-5.

GAME 1 NOTABLES
• Bella Norton recorded her first home run of the season and the eighth of her career.
• Gabbi Jenkins got her 13^th double of the season in the fifth inning. Prior to this season the most doubles Jenkins had recorded in a season was five in the shortened 2020 campaign. Jenkins came into the weekend leading the Big Ten in doubles with 12.

Game Two: Indiana 7, Illinois 2
GAME 2 KEY MOMENTS
• Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a home run by Bella Loya.
• In the top half of the third inning Brooke Benson got a bunt for a base hit and advanced to second on a passed ball. Lambert bunted Benson to third and Jenkins drove in Benson with an RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
• Illinois regained the lead in the fourth inning on a sac fly to go up 2-1.
• In the fifth inning Lambert got on and stole second base. Grayson Radcliffe walked to put runners and first and second. Bella Norton came up and belted a home run to left field to put IU up 4-2.
• In the bottom of the sixth inning Illinois had a runner on first and one out and they attempted to steal second, but Norton threw to Benson to get the out.
• Taylor Lambert hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Indiana lead to 5-2.
• Grayson Radcliffe added a two-run shot to push the Indiana lead to 7-2.

GAME 2 NOTABLES
• The Hoosiers overall record now stands at 15-15 on the season.
• Norton hit her second home run of the day and second of the season.
• The home run for Lambert was her third of the season.
• Gabbi Jenkins had three RBI on the day and now has 17 for the season.
• Grayson Radcliffe hit her fourth home run of the season.
• Radcliffe now has a team leading 19 RBI for the Hoosiers.
• Indiana hit four home runs over the two games against the Illini.
• All Indiana batters reached in the top of the seventh inning.
• Abby Meeks added her second hit of the season with a pinch hit double. Micah Schroder followed with an infield single for her second hit of the season.
• Emily Goodin pitched a complete game, her fourth complete game in her last five starts. Goodin had six strikeouts in game two and nine total for the day.

UP NEXT
Indiana will continue the series against Illinois on Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Follow Indiana Softball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#GoIU