Every section of the Indiana roster is stacked with skill. The Hoosiers exercised many of their strengths in a series sweep of Illinois this past weekend, which they completed with a 7-3 win on Sunday.
Indiana’s infield; which consists of Josie Bird at first, Aly VanBrandt at second, shortstop Alex Cooper, and Madalyn Strader at third. They all stood out in the regular season finale.
On Sunday, that quartet of Hoosiers who keep watch over the base paths saw a great deal of action on defense. Pitchers Aubree Hooks, Ella Troutt, and Brooke Mannon stood strong in the circle, but Illinois put plenty of pitches into play throughout the afternoon. In fact, neither team recorded a strikeout until the seventh inning, when Mannon ushered Adisyn Caryl back to the Illinois dugout.
Compared to many previous outings this season, both Indiana and Illinois recorded very few strikeouts. However, the Illinois lineup also didn’t record very many hits, struggling to establish a sense of rhythm on offense.
Much of that lack of consistent offensive output is related to Indiana’s quality infield fortifications. The trio in the outfield made its fair share of impressive plays, and the pitchers met the moment for the majority of the contest, but in many ways the infield stole the show.
“When it matters the most,” Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said on Sunday, “they’re stepping up and doing really great things down the stretch here.”
The infield accounted for 14 of the defense’s 21 outs on Sunday, including two double plays. The pitching staff struck out only one Illinois batter, but the infield led the way in ensuring that the frequent Fighting Illini contact didn’t translate to substantial scoring.
The crowd surrounding Andy Mohr Field erupted in the sixth inning, when Indiana protected its 7-1 lead with a brilliant double play with the bases loaded. Illinois seemed destined to score when Ady Kiddy popped a pitch high into the air.
However, VanBrandt caught the ball behind second base and whipped it to Bird at first base, who then hurled it to catcher Avery Parker. The batter, as well as the runner, retreated back to first base and the runner sprinted towards home plate wound up called out on the play. Officially, the effort is considered a double play because there was already one out on the board, but the speed at which the infield worked was worthy of the designation of a triple play.
While the Indiana lineup supplied more than enough run support required for a win, the defense, led by the infield, stamped out the Fighting Illini’s attempts to respond.
Notably, it was the very same Indiana infield who accumulated much of that run support.
VanBrandt batted in a total of two runs, in part through a leadoff home run, which set the tone for the game immediately upon its commencement. In the same inning, Bird hit a home run of her own, plating three runs as a result. Cooper and Strader both scored, too, with Cooper reaching base through a single and Strader reaching base through a double.
“It’s just good stuff,” Stanton said on Sunday. “They’re great hitters, they’re great athletes and they perform.”
On defense, the infield fortified the base paths. That same group supported the pitchers and the team as a whole on offense, too, with reliable run support. That section of the roster has been successful all season, but has improved over time as the relationship between the members of the infield strengthens.
“I think we have gotten way closer over this past year,” Cooper said on Friday, “so that’s helped just with the dynamic of our infield.”
The group’s communication has been a prominent feature of its chemistry, which steps into the spotlight in moments like the double play in the sixth inning on Sunday.
“We just talk better,” Bird said on Friday, “we communicate better, so it just flows better in the infield.”
The communication, chemistry and execution exhibited by the Indiana infield on Sunday will most definitely play an important role in the team’s postseason efforts.
Indiana earned a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament and will take the field in College Park, MD. at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday. They’ll face either Washington or Minnesota in the quarterfinals.
