Following Tuesday night’s 10-5 win over the University of Louisville, Indiana softball head coach Shonda Stanton said she wasn’t too pleased with the team’s defensive performance, specifically in the top of the fourth inning when the Cardinals scored three runs.
On Wednesday, Indiana had another chance to pick up a resume-building win against another Atlantic Coast Conference school, the University of Notre Dame.
Indiana could not win two games in two days, as its defense let them down in a 9-1 run-rule loss to the Fighting Irish. Team 50 led 1-0 but three errors in the field led to the team’s unraveling in the in-state match.
“That was tough today,” Stanton said after the game. “We had three errors and a few more miscues than that, and when you give a good team like that extra outs they’re gonna make you pay.”
The Hoosiers got on the board first with sophomore outfielder Kinsey Mitchell hitting a single to left field. That was one of just three hits Indiana could muster up against Notre Dame starting pitcher Payton Tidd. Tidd, who pitched 4.1 innings against Indiana last year, threw a complete game in Wednesday’s contest, striking out seven Hoosiers in six innings, totaling 99 pitches.
“I don’t feel like we ever settled into a rhythm today,” Stanton said. She thought Tidd didn’t overpower the Hoosiers, but her ability to mix up the speeds of her pitches made it tricky for the Indiana offense.
Indiana surrendered nine unanswered runs, as sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland picked up her first loss of the year. Copeland finished the evening with three innings pitched, and five runs allowed, but only two of them were earned as the defense behind her did not provide many favors.
The Fighting Irish scored twice in the third inning, three times in both the fourth and fifth and another one in the sixth to end the game with a run-rule victory. Notre Dame had 12 hits on the evening and only committed one error in the field.
Stanton said playing back-to-back days against two quality opponents is like playing in regionals, something Indiana has its sights set on.
Indiana drops to 31-12 this season and will resume Big Ten play this weekend when Nebraska comes to Andy Mohr Field for a three-game set. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Plus.
