This past weekend, Indiana traveled to College Park, Maryland for the Big Ten Tournament with the luxury of a first-round bye. With that luxury, the No. 4 seed saved arm strength in preparation for the opportunity to elevate the value of its resume and win a conference tournament championship.
The Hoosiers concluded their conference tournament expedition after two games, initially beating No. 5 seed Washington 9-2 in the quarterfinals on Thursday and then losing to No. 1 seed Nebraska 5-0 in the semifinals on Friday.
The quarterfinal round revealed the extent of the impact of Indiana’s first-round bye to a great degree. Washington scratched and clawed to a 4-2 win over No. 12 seed Minnesota a day prior, after the Huskies handed the rights to the first-round bye off to the Hoosiers with eight losses in their last nine regular season games.
Washington sophomore Morgan Reimer, whose ERA ranks amongst the top 10 in the Big Ten, pitched seven innings against Minnesota. As a result, she was not in action against Indiana, and four Huskies patched together seven innings of work in the circle.
On offense, the Indiana lineup was relentless, and outpaced its adversary with a final tally of nine runs. At first, small ball was at the center of the Hoosier offense, with junior Brooke Mannon driving in senior Ellie Goins by way of an RBI single in the second inning.
Later, though, the top of the order and the power it possesses stole the show. Junior Aly VanBrandt’s home run in the third inning and junior Alex Cooper’s home run in the sixth inning combined for five runs, with the rest of the roster accruing three runs on three hits in the fifth frame.
Many of those runs were supportive, but not entirely necessary considering the strong presence in the circle the pitching staff provided. Sophomore Ella Troutt pitched the first five frames, allowing four hits and two runs, before freshman Aubree Hooks closed with two scoreless innings.
Complementary softball, featuring consistent pressure applied by the lineup and authority in the circle, caused Indiana to advance to the semifinals without much resistance.
In the semifinals, the Hoosiers faced a far more formidable opponent in the form of No. 1 seed Nebraska. The Cornhuskers rank amongst the nation’s elite, and exist as a true national championship contender in every regard.
On Friday, Indiana didn’t record a run against the complete game pitched by freshman Alexis Jensen. Equally alarming is the fact that Jensen delivered 12 strikeouts and allowed just two hits and a walk.
Redshirt junior Taylor Hess started in the circle for the Hoosiers and hung with the Cornhuskers for the majority of her stint, but eventually folded under the weight of Nebraska’s unforgiving offense. Hess faced 19 batters and allowed four runs before Hooks returned for a second straight closing effort, in which she faced 10 batters and allowed one run. Ultimately, the difference in the contest revolved around the scoreless seven innings offensively.
The win over Washington serves as a quality win that boosts Indiana’s resume and reinforces the team’s confidence, while the loss to Nebraska serves as a learning opportunity as the Hoosiers look to elevate to the next level of postseason success.
No. 1 seed Nebraska and No. 3 seed UCLA clash for the conference tournament title at 1 p.m. on Saturday, while Indiana patiently awaits the NCAA Tournament selection show, which is set to be aired on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Indiana will likely be one of the 64 teams selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament, and if it is to reach previously undiscovered territory while doing so, its encounters with quality competition in the Big Ten Tournament and the lessons learned from those experiences will be of considerable value.
