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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

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Mental mistakes cost Hoosiers on the road

Freshman utility player Gabbi Jenkins leads off first base during IU's game against Bowling Green on Saturday, March 18. IU beat Bowling Green, 11-3, during its first game of the Hoosier Classic. 

IU softball had its fair share of opportunities to sweep a three-game series against Penn State this weekend.

After winning 6-1 in the opening game of a Saturday doubleheader, the Hoosiers had chances to stage a comeback win in the day’s second game. IU was also right with Penn State for the majority of Sunday’s series finale.

However, blunders on the base paths and defensive errors cost IU the final two games of the series.

“The last three losses we’ve had, it was three miscues that cost us the game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said.

IU, 17-18 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, had no one but itself to blame for its first conference series loss.

After a nine-hit performance in Saturday’s win, the Hoosiers registered only five hits in each of their final two games.

“We were just not staying focused on offense,” Gardner said.

Despite this, it seemed IU was positioned to win both games. Junior infielder Rachel O’Malley, who recorded three hits in the win, began a seventh-inning rally in Saturday’s second game. The Hoosiers trailed by three when O’Malley hit a two-run double.

Her hit gave IU runners at second and third with no outs. However, sophomore pinch runner Sarah Galovich couldn’t make it the final 60 feet home.

Galovich was set to tag third on a fly out by junior utility player Aimilia McDonough, but she left the base before the out was recorded and had to stay put. Neither of the two remaining Hoosier batters could bring her home.

“That’s a fundamental thing Sarah should have down,” Gardner said. “We practice it all the time.”

The loss diminished a solid pitching effort from sophomore pitcher Emily Kirk. In her first start since March 11, Kirk threw her first complete game of the season and lasted six innings.

Kirk received little run support as IU’s bats struggled against Penn State freshman pitcher Madey Smith. Smith pitched a shutout until she ran into trouble in the seventh, when she was relieved by senior pitcher Marlaina Laubach.

It was the same story Sunday for IU when sophomore pitcher Tara Trainer received a complete game loss while pitching against Laubach.

“Emily and Tara both threw good enough to win,” Gardner said. “Offensively we just didn’t get it done.”

The lone run in Sunday’s loss came via a solo home run by junior infielder Taylor Uden. Uden’s blast to left field moved her into a tie for the team lead in homers with five.

Sunday’s game was marred by a defensive miscue, though.

With a runner at first base, no outs and the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Penn State junior infielder Gianna Arrizurieta came to the plate. Arrizurieta hit into a fielder’s choice, and the lead runner was thrown out at second base.

However, before time was called, the Hoosier defense went to sleep. No one from the IU infield covered second base after the play, which allowed Arrizurieta to take the unguarded base.

Arrizurieta came home as the winning run two batters later when a shallow single to right field bounced off the glove of freshman utility player Gabbi Jenkins.

The result improved Penn State’s record to 14-19 overall and 2-4 in conference.

The Hoosiers won’t have much time to lick their wounds. Next week’s road trip sees IU visit No. 6 Minnesota, a team with a 30-3 record.

“We obviously need to play a whole hell of a lot better if we are going to think about beating Minnesota,” Gardner said.

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