With runners on second and third and a 9-2 lead over Rutgers on Friday, Indiana softball catcher Avery Parker stepped into the batter’s box. The senior launched a three-run home run over the right-center field wall.
Indiana rushed from the dugout to crowd home plate at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington as Parker rounded the bases, forming an Indiana trident with their arms in celebration. Parker’s home run lifted the Hoosiers to a 12-2 run-rule win to begin the weekend series against Rutgers.
The Hoosiers carried the hot start into the rest of the series Saturday and Sunday, scoring 29 runs across three games and going 2-1 on the weekend against the Scarlet Knights. This weekend marked Indiana’s second consecutive Big Ten series win to open conference play, after finishing 2-1 against Minnesota from March 6-8.
In addition to Parker’s home run Friday, three Indiana players collected multiple RBIs to power a 12-run performance.
“They all had the green light, and they all trusted themselves,” Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said postgame Friday. “And they all swung, and they all had great barrel.”
Junior utility player Aly VanBrandt entered the weekend after a historic game against Loyola University Chicago on March 10. In the game, VanBrandt hit three home runs and seven RBIs. Both marks tied the single-game program record in their respective categories.
While VanBrandt’s power was not the same as it was earlier in the week, she still drove in two runs Friday, collecting three hits in four at-bats.
Senior outfielder Ellie Goins, who transferred to Indiana from North Carolina State University in the offseason, launched her first home run at Andy Mohr Field, which pushed Indiana’s advantage to 6-0.
“It felt great,” Goins said. “Just the atmosphere that we were able to have tonight on a Friday night, it was awesome to just come home and see my teammates cheering for me, and just have that adrenaline rush.”
Following Goins’ home run, the Hoosiers added six runs to notch the 12-2 victory and carry momentum into the remainder of the series.
On Saturday, Indiana trailed 1-0 after the top of the first inning. But Parker’s first at-bat followed a similar script to Friday’s final hit. In the bottom of the first inning, the senior hit another three-run home run to put the Hoosiers in front 3-1.
Like Friday, Saturday’s offensive output was a collective one, with six Hoosiers registering a hit. Sophomore infielder Madalyn Strader led the team with two hits, adding an RBI double. Sophomore catcher and utility player Ali Gavin also recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly to help the Hoosiers to a 6-1 victory on day two of the series.
“I think collectively we’re passing the bat and we don’t rely on any one individual,” Stanton said. “And so when you do that, you don’t try harder when things aren’t going well. You go back to your processes, and you trust the things that you did well. And you stick to the fundamentals of the controls.”
Looking to close out the series and secure a sweep Sunday, the Cream and Crimson came out aggressive offensively. Six Indiana players picked up an RBI within the first two innings, giving the Hoosiers a commanding 8-0 lead.
However, Indiana’s pitching collapsed. Rutgers stormed back from eight runs down, scoring 14 runs across the game’s final five innings, as the Cream and Crimson fell 14-11.
Since Indiana’s 2-0 shutout loss in its Big Ten opener against Minnesota on March 6, the Hoosiers have not scored less than five runs in a game, including a 14-run outburst against Loyola Chicago. Across this six-game span, the Cream and Crimson have scored a total of 54 runs –– a key for sustained success across the remainder of the season.
“But offensively, we’re putting up runs and you know, that helps,” Stanton said. “That’s the name of the game. You only gotta be plus-one, but scoring runs is fun and wins ball games.”
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
