Softball ends season on 15-game losing streak

The IU softball team ended its season with a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Lincoln, Neb.

The loss made 15 consecutive defeats for the team as it closed out the season.

Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy took the loss for the Hoosiers. In 2.1 innings of work, she allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits.

Anna Edwards started the scoring for Northwestern with a home run in the second inning to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Murphy got in trouble in the third inning. Olivia Duehr doubled to start the inning. After recording a strikeout, Mari Majam singled and advanced to second as Duehr scored. Marisa Bast followed that with a two-run home run to give Northwestern a 4-0 lead.
 
Murphy was pulled after that in favor of sophomore Lora Olson. The Wildcats would tack on one more run before the inning was over.

The Hoosiers’ offense could not assist Murphy or Olson on the day, either.
Despite loading the bases four times, IU (19-35, 3-19) only managed to score two runs from those four opportunities.

Senior third baseman Amanda Wagner reached base all four times in her last time donning the cream and crimson. She connected on two hits and was hit by a pitch twice. She recorded an RBI in the seventh inning when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Freshman first baseman Kassi Farmer scored the Hoosiers’ first run when she led off the top of the fourth with a home run to put IU on the board.

Senior second baseman Samantha Heyman singled and junior left fielder Jenna Abraham tripled to round out the Hoosiers’ five hits on the day.

— Robby Howard