After an impressive defensive performance in Indiana softball’s 2-0 victory Wednesday against Washington, the Hoosiers pitching was unable to hold off the No. 2 seeded UCLA on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals at Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In the first round of the tournament Wednesday against Washington, senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland pitched a complete game, tallying seven strikeouts and holding the Huskies to just two hits on the day.
The Hoosiers’ defense was not able to replicate its pitching excellence Thursday, giving up 11 hits and five runs.
Copeland started on the mound Thursday against UCLA, but was unable to pitch a complete game, as the pitching staff gave junior pitcher Taylor Hess time on the mound as well.
In just 3 2/3 innings of work, Hess limited the Bruins to four hits and one run. Hess has not pitched in as many games as the other pitchers on the Indiana roster but has the best ERA percentage on the team with a 2.75.
Despite coming up just short, Indiana showed resilience in the close quarterfinals contest as the Hoosiers potent offense kept the game in striking distance. Indiana trailed 3-0 early in the game but was able to cut the lead to just 3-2 in the third inning.
The Hoosiers tied the game up for the first time in the fifth inning after senior outfielder Kinsey Mitchell hit a ball up the middle to score senior outfielder Taylor Minnick and knot the game up at 4-4.
Despite the momentum going the Hoosiers’ way, Indiana was unable to hold off the Bruins’ offense in the bottom of the seventh inning, ultimately losing 5-4 on a walk off RBI single.
Thursday marked just the third ever meeting between the programs, with UCLA coming out on top in all previous matchups.
The Indiana offense held its own in the contest as five different Hoosiers tallied a hit in the game, with Minnick and Copeland picking up two apiece. Minnick, Copeland and junior catcher and utility player Avery Parker each recorded at least one RBI as well.
With the quarterfinal's tournament loss, the Hoosiers underperformed from last season. In 2024, Indiana advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game, where they ultimately lost to Michigan by a score of 3-1.
The Hoosiers will now await the selection show to see if they have a strong enough resume to get an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Team 52 has postseason aspirations and goals to reach a third consecutive postseason appearance. A third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance would be history for the Indiana softball program.
The annual NCAA selection show will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday and can be streamed on ESPN.
