Indiana softball headed into its clubhouse with momentum and smiles following its 11-1 run-rule victory over the University of Notre Dame on Tuesday at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington.
“Well, that was fun,” head coach Shonda Stanton even said postgame.
But that offensive rhythm faded Wednesday against No. 25 University of Louisville at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cardinals defeated Indiana 8-7 in an over four-hour contest in which the Hoosiers stranded 12 base runners.
When Indiana last faced Notre Dame in Bloomington on April 16, 2024, the Hoosiers trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Then-freshman infielder Alex Cooper brought in the Cream and Crimson’s lone run through six innings with a solo home run.
Cooper stepped up to the plate again in the seventh –– this time with the bases loaded. She launched the ball over the left center field wall for a walk-off grand slam, ending the game with a score of 5-3.
Nearly two years later, the Fighting Irish returned to Bloomington. This time, the Hoosiers took a 3-1 advantage into the fourth inning. A walk and a hit by pitch drove in two additional runs and loaded the bases for the Cream and Crimson. Once again, Cooper came to the plate with a grand slam opportunity.
Stanton said Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” was playing in her head Tuesday, expecting another big moment for Cooper.
“I could feel it,” Stanton said. “And the reason, the flags were blowing hard. And then there was this calm, and you could just feel it in the air.”
With a 2-2 count, Cooper swung. The ball carried beyond the center field wall as the Hoosier faithful rose to their feet, pushing the Indiana lead to 9-1.
“So that’s pretty cool for her to have that moment, and the big clutch hit,” Stanton said postgame Tuesday.
While Stanton recognized the moment, it did not cross Cooper’s mind at the plate.
“A lot of people mentioned it,” Cooper said. “I didn’t really –– I wasn’t thinking about it.”
In addition to Cooper’s grand slam, five Hoosiers contributed an RBI against Notre Dame. Senior outfielder Ellie Goins finished 2-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while freshman utility player Josie White, sophomore infielder Josie Bird and junior pitcher/utility player Brooke Mannon each drove in a run. While she didn’t contribute an RBI, senior catcher Avery Parker went 3-3 at the plate, nearly hitting an inside-the-park home run before getting called out on a close play at home in the third inning.
The Hoosiers’ efforts in the batter’s box behind Cooper’s fourth inning grand slam resulted in a dominant 11-1 victory over the Fighting Irish.
Indiana faced a quick turnaround after its home game against Notre Dame, going on the road to face No. 25 Louisville. The Hoosiers had finished 1-4 against their previous three ranked opponents in 2026, defeating then-No. 25 Ohio State on Feb. 6, but losing to Arizona State University, Oregon and UCLA.
Wednesday was no different.
After its explosive offensive outing Tuesday, Indiana’s output at the plate diminished in regulation innings. The Hoosiers got out to a hot start in the batter’s box, loading the bases in the top of the first inning with just one out. Sophomore infielder Madalyn Strader began the scoring with a sacrifice fly to score one runner.
But Indiana stranded the two runners in scoring position to end its opening frame offensively. The Cream and Crimson struggled with runners on base throughout the evening, leaving 12 total runners on base.
Mannon also drove in a run via a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to deliver a 2-0 lead for the Hoosiers. Then, the Cardinals scored three runs of their own, claiming a 3-2 lead in the sixth.
With one inning remaining in regulation, the Hoosiers needed a spark. Junior utility player Aly VanBrandt delivered. She hit a solo home run in the seventh to knot the game at three runs and send it to extra innings.
In extras, the two teams went back and forth, each scoring two runs in the eighth before both going scoreless in the ninth. However, Indiana’s inability to score runners on base continued to hurt it. The Cream and Crimson stranded five runners in three extra innings. Meanwhile, Louisville knocked in the game-winning run in the 10th inning, handing Indiana an 8-7 loss.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
