BLOOMINGTON—The Indiana Hoosiers initiated the win by 8 run rule in both of their home opener games.
Indiana started play in the Hoosier classic against IU Indy at 3 PM on Friday. The Hoosiers first at bat gave them an early lead, when Avery Parker hit a 2 run single, Kinsley Mitchell hit a home run, which brought in 3 runs. Which ended the first inning 5-0.
In the 2nd and the 3rd, Alex Cooper gave Indiana 2 more runs, scoring on a sacrifice fly and an error, improving the Hoosier lead to 7-0.
The 4th inning was explosive for the Hoosiers, starting off with a leadoff double from Taylor Minnick, which is her 5th double this season. Parker followed up with a double of her own, which brought Minnick to score. Mitchell hit a single to bring Parker home to bring the score to 9-0. The Jaguars brought in a new pitcher.
Still in the bottom of the 4th, Aly VanBrandt hit a double of her own, which advanced Cassidy Kettleman to 3rd, and a single from Hannah Haberstroh brought her in. With both Haberstroh and Madlyn Strader on base, Cooper singles to centerfield to bring both runners in, which advanced the score to 13-0. Lastly, A Minnick single brought in Cooper on a misthrow from the Jaguars to finish the inning, and the game 14-0.
Freshmen pitcher Jasmine Reyes accomplished her first collegiate no hitter against IU Indy. When asked about her reaction to her no-hitter, Reyes commented, “I had no idea, and everyone was cheering, and I was like oh I did it...It felt amazing.” She is only the sixth freshman in Indiana’s history
to accomplish this. All in all, this game proved the new freshmen are here to play.
Indiana continued their home opener double header against Bowling Green at 5 PM.
The Hoosiers got out of the top of the 1st quickly, with 3 strikeouts from Brianna Copeland. They got right to work with their first at bat of the game, with a Copeland walk, and stolen base. Minnick followed up with a Home Run to bring them both in, which ended the inning 2-0.
Copeland threw three more strikeouts against the Falcons, bringing the Hoosiers back up to bat. Vanbrandt had a leadoff walk, and a stolen base that was originally called out. Head Coach Shonda Stanton challenged the call, which got reversed, keeping Vanbrandt on second base. The inning ended shortly after with a caught popfly to center field.
Copeland had three more strikeouts, which gave her 9 straight strikeouts in a row. Indiana came up to bat in the third, with a leadoff double from Cooper, Melina Wilkinson walk, and Copeland bunt single to load the bases. A Parker grand slam brought them all home. When asked about her grand slam, Parker commented, “That was my first career home run, and when I was walking up, I was just expecting to hit a line drive, but then it worked out pretty well.”
The Hoosiers were still in the bottom of the third. A Vanbrandt base hit, that led to a run, and a Kettleman stolen home base, gave them 2 more runs, which advanced the score to 8-0 at the end of the 3rd.
The top of the fourth showed struggle for the Hoosier defense. Bowling Green’s Addie Martin and Hannah Hunt were the first to hit off of Copeland’s pitches, which led to the first two runs on the board for the Falcons, moving the score to 8-2. Copeland loaded the bases, allowing a run by walk, which led to an Indiana pitching change.
Indiana brought in freshmen Janae Berry, who got them out of the inning with a strikeout, a pop fly catch by Minnick and an out at first.
The Hoosiers and falcons played the rest of the 4th and 5th, quickly ending the innings scoreless.
The bottom of the 6th gave Indiana the opportunity to score with Strader, Cooper, and Minnick on the bases, Parker hit a single, bringing Minnick in. An error on the pitch gave Cooper the chance to take home. Indiana won their second game of their doubleheader by the 8 run win rule, 11-3.
Indiana will continue in the Hoosier classic, Saturday taking on Western Michigan at 2PM and Bowling Green at 4PM.
