As daylight faded at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, so did IU softball’s offensive production.
The Hoosiers managed just two hits, both in the third inning, in a 2-1 loss to the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday.
Only one IU batter reached base in the final four innings, and the final nine Hoosiers to step to the plate were retired consecutively by Louisville senior pitcher Maryssa Becker to end the game.
“Our bats just didn’t show up tonight,” junior outfielder Rebecca Blitz said. “We hit the ball hard but right at people.”
IU drops to .500 on the season with a 16-16 record as a result of the loss. After scoring 31 runs in the first two games of last weekend's series against Rutgers, IU has now scored just six runs in its last two contests.
Becker, pitching all seven innings in just 91 pitches on Wednesday, stymied the majority of Hoosiers.
Blitz was one of the few IU players to contribute at the plate. She recorded IU’s lone RBI of the game with two outs in the third.
A fielder’s choice was credited to Blitz, who scored junior utility player Aimilia McDonough from third base. However, freshman utility player Katie Lacefield was caught in a rundown during the play and tagged out at third base.
“I knew I needed to put the ball in play just to give us a chance to score,” Blitz said.
The combination of spectacular defense in center field by Blitz and sophomore starting pitcher Tara Trainer made the lead appear safe.
Making her 20th start of the season, Trainer pitched a shutout through the opening four innings. The shutout reached the fifth thanks to Blitz.
With runners at first and second and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Louisville sophomore outfielder Megan Hensley drove a pitch from Trainer into shallow center field.
Quickly reading the flight of the ball, Blitz made a diving catch to end the scoring chance.
“It was just a reaction play,” Blitz said. “As part of the outfield, we’re the insurance. It’s our job to keep the ball in front of us.”
Louisville would not be denied in the next inning, however. The Cardinals loaded the bases with a single, a fielding error by Lacefield and an intentional walk to Becker, who hit third in the batting order. This set the stage for junior outfielder Nicole Pufahl.
Pufahl delivered a two-RBI single to center field, and plated the go-ahead run for Louisville.
As IU continued to struggle offensively, Blitz continued to keep the Hoosiers in the game on defense. In a mirror image of the fourth inning, Blitz made another diving grab to end the sixth.
Louisville again had two runners on base when Blitz displayed her defensive prowess, as she tracked down the ball with a dive in right center field. She completed the play by turning a double play.
Blitz tossed the ball into the infield to Trainer, who then threw it to junior infielder Taylor Uden to catch the Louisville runner attempting to tag back to first base.
“I knew I had the ball defensively both times,” Blitz said. “I’m sure any of us in the outfield would have been laying it all out on the field to keep the team in the game.”
The defensive stance would go for naught, though. IU dropped to 6-9 in games decided by two runs or fewer this season.
“We’ve been preaching that no game is any more special than another,” Blitz said. “Whether its Rutgers or Louisville, we can compete with anyone.”
IU will put that concept to the test this weekend as it visits Penn State for a three-game series.
