Softball sweeps Purdue to close regular season

The IU softball team concluded its regular season Saturday, finishing a two-game sweep against in-state and conference rival Purdue to improve its record to 37-16 (17-3 Big Ten).

The Hoosiers will find out their next opponent when the NCAA Tournament Selection Show appears on ESPNU at 10 p.m. Sunday.

The Hoosiers are expected to play in the postseason for the first time since 2006, which is only their seventh appearance all-time following their second-place finish in the Big Ten.

On Friday and Saturday, the Hoosiers capitalized on numerous fielding errors by the
Boilermakers, scoring three unearned runs in the two games.

Purdue blew a one-run lead in the fifth inning Friday to allow the Hoosiers to notch their 11th come-from-behind win of the season.  

An error allowed the Hoosiers to take a two-run lead early Saturday, and then in the third inning, sophomore Amanda Wagner put the game out of reach with a two-run homer to left field.  

Wagner was not looking to hit a home run, just a specific pitch, and she got it: a changeup.  

“I was really just looking for a pitch to drive,” Wagner said. “We as a team picked up on her changeup, so we kind of knew when it was coming, when to lay off it and when not. And I saw it coming.”

As the Hoosiers likely head into the postseason winning 25 of their last 29 games, coach Michelle Gardner still sees areas in which the team can improve.

“I still think there are areas where we need to do better,” Gardner said. “We need to score more runs, but honestly I feel really good about where we are and who we are,” Gardner said.

Morgan Melloh continued her dominance in the circle on Senior Day, notching her 32nd victory of the season and her 13th shutout.

She also broke the record for most strikeouts in a Big Ten season with 221.  

Melloh pitched every inning for the Hoosiers in Big Ten play, posting a 1.07 ERA along with seven shutouts.

As the Hoosiers enter the postseason, Wagner said she thinks the team has plenty of potential on the horizon.

“We’re expecting to play hard and go far,” Wagner said. “We are not settling for anything. We’re going to play our hearts out.”

Even though the Hoosiers have had a strong season, Gardner said she feels like her team is still a big underdog.

“I think we’re being overlooked,” Gardner said. “I think we’re little Indiana, and even Morgan, as great as she is, I think we are being overlooked.”