Indiana softball used a dominant offensive performance and a historic day at the plate from Aly VanBrandt to defeat the Loyola Chicago Ramblers 14-6 in six innings Tuesday afternoon at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington.
VanBrandt tied the single game home run record for Indiana at three, last accomplished in 2025 by Brianna Copeland. The Hoosiers erased an early deficit and exploded offensively late, ending the game via run rule behind VanBrandt’s three-home-run performance.
Loyola Chicago struck first and wasted little time doing so. On the very first pitch of the game, Ramblers leadoff hitter Alli Pawlowicz launched a solo home run to left field to give Loyola Chicago an immediate 1-0 lead against the Hoosiers’ starting pitcher Jasmine Reyes. The Ramblers added traffic on the bases later in the inning but Reyes managed to limit the damage to just the one run.
After shutting Indiana down in the first, the Ramblers offense continued to pressure the Hoosiers in the second inning. Averi Vander Woude started the rally with a line-drive double over the head of Indiana shortstop Alex Cooper, later advancing to third on a steal. Vander Woude eventually scored on a ground ball, and Abbie Gregus added an RBI single to extend the Loyola Chicago lead.
With runners still on base, Indiana turned to sophomore pitcher Ella Troutt out of the bullpen to replace Reyes. Troutt has been absolutely dominant for the Hoosiers this year after transferring from the University of Georgia this past off-season. Troutt recorded a key strikeout but the Ramblers continued to capitalize with runners on base. Nat Lesnicki delivered a two-run double into the left-center field gap, bringing home both baserunners and stretching Loyola Chicago’s lead to 4-0.
After starting slow, Indiana’s offense began to find momentum in the third inning. Cassidy Kettleman reached base with a single to spark the rally before VanBrandt followed with a fielder’s choice that erased the lead runner but kept pressure on the Loyola defense. Cooper then delivered a clutch double down the right-field line, sending VanBrandt to third and putting Indiana in prime scoring position.
The Hoosiers capitalized on the opportunity. Avery Parker lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed VanBrandt to score Indiana’s first run of the game. Shortly after, Josie Bird drove a single through the right side to score Cooper and cut the deficit to 4-2. Indiana continued to work patient at-bats, eventually drawing a bases-loaded walk that brought the Hoosiers within one run at 4-3 by the end of the inning, but leaving the bases juiced.
The defensive momentum shifted in the fourth inning with a pair of highlight-reel plays. Center fielder Ellie Goins made a full-extension diving catch web gem for the first out, and VanBrandt followed a couple pitches later with a SportsCenter Top 10-esque diving stop at second base to record another out. Troutt then struck out Sierra Sass to complete a quick yet energetic defensive frame for Indiana.
That momentum carried directly into the Hoosiers dugout in the bottom half of the inning. After Kettleman reached base with a single, VanBrandt stepped to the plate and delivered a thunderous swing, blasting a two-run home run over the left-field wall. The shot flipped the game in Indiana’s favor and gave the Hoosiers their first lead of the day at 5-4.
Indiana continued to apply pressure throughout the inning as the bats finally started to wake up. Cooper later walked and stole second base before Parker advanced her with a deep fly ball. Bird then drove in another run on a fielder’s choice, extending the Hoosiers’ lead to 6-4 at the end of four.
Loyola Chicago answered in the fifth inning, once again showing resilience. Pawlowicz reached base with a walk and Lesnicki added another hit to put runners aboard. After a sacrifice bunt advanced both runners, putting them on second and third, Liz Sedakis drove in a run with a groundout and Anna Kiel followed with an RBI double that tied the game at six apiece.
But the bottom of the fifth arrived, and just like their previous outing against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Hoosier hail storm was about to start once more.
With runners on, and two out already in the inning, VanBrandt delivered once again — launching her second home run of the afternoon, a three-run blast that jolted the Indiana dugout and the home crowd. But the Hoosiers weren’t finished raining on the Ramblers’ parade. Cooper added a double off the wall, Parker followed with an RBI double of her own, and Indiana continued their mudslide of offense through walks and hit-by-pitches. By the time the inning ended, the Hoosiers had boat raced the Ramblers as Indiana scored six runs and built a commanding 12-6 lead.
As the Indiana offense rained down runs, Indiana’s pitching staff closed the door in the sixth inning behind freshman Aubree Hooks, who entered in relief and helped keep the Ramblers off the scoreboard.
The Hoosiers then put the finishing touch on the game in the bottom of the sixth as their offensive monsoon only became stronger throughout the game. After Kettleman was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, VanBrandt stepped to the plate with a chance to deliver the final blast — and she did exactly that. The Indiana second baseman crushed her third home run of the day, a towering two-run shot that felt like the final lightning strike, that secured the run-rule victory for the Hoosiers.
VanBrandt finished the afternoon with a remarkable stat line, going 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBIs, as her bat continued to rain damage on the Ramblers pitching staff. The performance marked one of the most dominant offensive outings of the season for Indiana.
Hoosier head coach Shonda Stanton credited VanBrandt’s aggressive approach at the plate for the breakout performance.
“She sees the ball and swings the bat aggressively,” Stanton said. “We’ve got to be okay with swinging and missing, because if you don’t attack, you’re not going to get balls running out of the yard. She’s done an incredible job. That’s a return on her investment in every area.”
Behind VanBrandt’s historic day and an offense that poured on runs in the late innings, the Hoosiers completed the comeback and stormed past Loyola Chicago with a 14-6 victory in six innings.
