The Indiana Hoosiers delivered an overpowering performance Thursday, rolling past the Portland State Vikings in a five-inning run rule to start the Littlewood Invitational in Tempe, Arizona before falling to No. 22 Arizona State in the nightcap.
From the first inning, the Hoosiers had control, scoring seven runs in the first inning and never letting up. Indiana tacked 13 more runs in the fourth, before adding three in the fifth inning to end early under the run-rule with a 23-0 win.
The offensive attack was balanced and relentless, with multiple Hoosiers contributing to big at-bats. Junior Aly VanBrandt led the charge by hitting for the cycle, going 5-for-5 with two home runs and tying an IU record with seven RBIs. VanBrant’s power display set the tone for the night.
On the mound, Ella Troutt was equally impressive, firing five shutout innings and allowing only one hit while striking out three. Troutt’s efficient outing kept the Vikings off balance and helped to maintain Indiana's early lead.
Portland State struggled to meet Indiana’s attack. The Vikings were only able to manage just one hit and were unable to score, with starting pitcher Anna Jardin absorbing the loss after giving up 17 runs and 19 hits over 2.2 innings.
After an amazing game from the Indiana, the Hoosiers hoped to keep that momentum going into their matchup against Arizona State later in the evening.
The Hoosiers, even after a late push, fell short as the Arizona State Sun Devils used a five-run stretch to push past Indiana 7-6.
After three scoreless innings from both teams, Indiana’s Avery Parker broke through in the fourth with a home run, bringing in two runs. The Hoosiers added another run in the fifth, building on what looked like early momentum.
But Arizona State answered in a big way in the bottom half of the fifth. The Sun Devils erupted for four runs, powered by Emily Schepps’ three-run-homer and Kaylee Ponds’ RBI. By the end of the fifth, Indiana had lost its lead, and the tone of the game shifted.
Indiana refused to go quietly; the Hoosiers scratched a run in the seventh to cut the deficit to one and put pressure on Arizona State, but the Sun Devils held on. Taylor Hess took the loss for Indiana after working 4.1 innings, giving up five runs on five hits.
The Hoosiers will look to bounce back Friday in their afternoon matchup against the University of the Pacific Tigers.
