Indiana softball leaned on a dominant performance from senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland in its 2-0 victory over Washington in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday at Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In her senior season, Copeland owns a 4.80 ERA — the highest since her freshman year in 2022.
However, in a year riddled with inconsistencies in the circle, Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton continuously displayed her trust in Copeland by placing the senior in the circle for big moments throughout the season. The Pelham, Alabama, native leads the team with a 16-7 record and 38 total appearances.
Stanton’s trust paid off against Washington.
Heading into the matchup, the Huskies had been one of the top power-hitting teams in Division I, as their 67 home runs ranked 28th in the nation. Yet, their offense went stagnant against Copeland as she pitched seven shutout innings.
After walking three batters in the opening frame, Copeland allowed just four baserunners the rest of the game. She earned seven strikeouts in her outing while holding the Huskies to just two hits on the day.
The performance marks Copeland’s third consecutive complete game at Bittinger Stadium, after she collected two against Purdue on May 2-3.
Although Indiana often relies on its offense to secure victories, Copeland’s performance in the circle made up for a quiet day in the batter’s box with the Hoosiers collecting just five hits and two runs.
The Hoosiers scored their first run of the game during the top of the third inning. With two runners on base, senior outfielder Taylor Minnick hit a line-out, but sophomore utility player Alex Cooper demonstrated heads-up baserunning to reach home safely and grant Minnick her team-leading 61st RBI of the season.
In the top of the sixth inning, junior catcher and utility player Avery Parker provided an insurance run for the Hoosiers, launching a solo home run to left center field to extend their lead to 2-0 and secure Copeland’s 17th win of the season.
Following their 2-0 first round victory, the Cream and Crimson’s run at a third consecutive Big Ten Tournament final continues as they are set to compete against No. 2-seeded UCLA in the quarterfinal. The Bruins own a 47-9 overall record, while finishing 17-5 in conference play this season.
Copeland and the Indiana pitching staff face a tough task replicating their outing against Washington heading into their matchup with UCLA. The Bruins boast one of the top offenses in the nation, as their 424 runs rank third in Division I.
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers’ lineup looks to improve upon Wednesday’s performance against the Bruins, whose 2.43 team-ERA ranks 15th in the nation.
The Hoosiers’ matchup against the Bruins is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Bittinger Stadium and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.
