The first day of the Littlewood Invitational consisted of two results for the Indiana Hoosiers that drastically contrasted from one another and from the rest of their performances so far this season.
Indiana’s weekend in Tempe, Arizona began on Thursday afternoon against Portland State. The Hoosiers turned a 7-0 lead at the end of the first inning into a 23-0 lead at the end of the fifth inning that ended the game early by way of the run rule.
That same evening, Indiana challenged the host of the event, No. 22 Arizona State, in a game that played out very differently. A defensive struggle became a tumultuous shootout, won 7-6 by a Sun Devil home run in the sixth inning with two outs on the board.
The most prominent constant across the two Hoosier outings of the day, though, perhaps emanates from an unlikely source. Rather than from the top of the order and its explosiveness, or from the starting pitching staff and its authority, the unsung hero of Indiana’s win and the silver lining of its loss lies with the bat of Ellie Goins.
The senior transfer from North Carolina State was spectacular as the eighth batter to step up to the plate in both of Thursday’s contests.
Against Portland State, every member of the Indiana lineup sparkled. The immediate, persistent and explosive offense put on display at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida a week prior absolutely resurfaced in Tempe. Aly VanBrandt and Alex Cooper, at the very top of the order, scored seven runs and batted in nine, with three home runs between the two of them.
Additionally, Goins performed admirably at the bottom of the lineup, reaching base on all four of her at-bats and returning to home plate for a score three times.
In the first inning, her single propelled Cassidy Kettleman to third base, setting up Peyton Drummond to drive Kettleman in for a run. In the same sequence, Goins bravely stole second base, allowing VanBrandt’s double to send Goins in for a score of her own.
A similar sequence unfolded in the fourth inning, as she again stole second base and scored shortly thereafter. Later in the same inning, her triple batted in a run that extended an already outrageous lead. Goins earned her right to stand on first base with another single in the fifth inning, and was rewarded by a VanBrandt home run for Goins’ third run of the afternoon.
Against Portland State, Goins was opportunistic at the plate and brave on the base paths, maximizing scoring chances for herself and her teammates.
Although the team’s experience against No. 22 Arizona State was markedly dissimilar to the afternoon win, the offensive output of Goins continued to serve as a noticeable source of success.
Outstanding offense produced five straight wins in Boca Raton and Tempe, but the top of the Indiana order met its match early on against Kenzie Brown and the Sun Devils. The Hoosiers failed to record a hit until the fourth inning, therefore operating without the spark VanBrandt, Cooper and Parker often generate.
That first hit in the fourth inning was a Brooke Mannon single. Two at-bats later, Mannon and Hannah Haberstroh, the beneficiary of a walk, scored the first runs of the game off of a single from none other than Ellie Goins.
Like clockwork, her impactful RBIs to open up the scoring paired with a truly clutch piece of hitting in the top of the sixth inning. Down 4-3, with Kettleman at first base, Goins smashed a home run to yank the lead back to the side of the road team.
Although Indiana’s pitching would unravel soon after, and the Sun Devils would retake and close the game with the lead, Goins’ clutch home run in addition to her initiation of the offense in the fourth inning undoubtedly exists as an encouraging silver lining for the Hoosiers.
Whether it’s in a 23-0 triumph or in a 7-6 defeat, Goins’ emergence as a reliable source of offense for herself and the lineup at large has a substantial positive impact on the team’s likelihood of success.
If the rest of the lineup is in crisis, as it was for four innings against Arizona State, Goins has proven to be capable of uplifting the offense on her own, often just in time for the top of the order to return to action. On Thursday in Tempe, Goins composed one of, if not the best pair of performances of anyone on the Indiana roster.
Goins and the Hoosiers will continue to play in Tempe for the remainder of the weekend, with one game against Pacific and two against Nevada on the way. Indiana challenges Pacific at noon on Friday, and Nevada at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.
Many teams across the college softball world may worry in scenarios where the bottom of the batting order is on deck in a pivotal moment. However, after eight brilliant at-bats in Tempe from Ellie Goins, Indiana does not appear to be one of those teams, as the senior transfer solidifies herself as a valuable and versatile offensive asset.
