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Game #2 today is all IU and the game ends after 5 innings on the run rule with IU a 10-1 winner.  Hoosiers banged out 9 hits and were aided by 3 Maryland errors and 2 wild pitches.  The rout started in the first inning as Grayson Radcliffe hit a 2-run homer her 7th of the year and she's the team HR leader.  We added a run in the second, 2 more in the third and 5 in the fourth.  Radcliffe was 2-3, Westmoreland 2-2, Baez 2-3 with a team high 3 RBI.  Trainer (23-7) pitched 4 innings and gets the win.  Taylor Askland pitched the fifth inning giving up 3 of Maryland's 4 hits and their only run.  We move to 31-15 on the season and 6-8 in conference play.  Next weekend a 3-game series at Wisconsin.

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Lady Softballers (31-15) (6-8) make a 3-game Easter weekend road trip to Wisconsin (30-8) (7-5).  Tonight's game set to start at 6:00; Saturday and Sunday games at 2:00.  

Live Stats

Indiana Softball (31-15, 6-8 Big Ten) hits the road for the first of the final three Big Ten series of the season as the Hoosiers visit Wisconsin (30-8, 7-5 Big Ten) for a three-game set. First pitch of the series is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Both teams received votes in this week's USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.

All three games will be streamed on BTN Plus. In addition, live stats will be available on IUHoosiers.com.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
The Badgers have posted an impressive 23-3 non-conference mark, including putting together an 11-game winning streak earlier in the year and starting the season 14-1 with victories against then-No. 9 Texas and No. 15 Arizona State. Common opponents between IU and Wisconsin have included USF (USF won, 7-1), Furman (Wisconsin won, 4-1) and Northwestern (Northwestern swept series). The Badgers swept Penn State and Iowa to start Big Ten action before dropping three games to the Wildcats last weekend. Wisconsin is batting .303 as a team, tied for second in the Big Ten, and lead the conference with 50 home runs. The Badger bats are led by Kayla Konwent (.483, 56 hits, 43 RBI, 29 runs, 13 HR) and Taylor Johnson (.371, 43 hits, 35 runs, 31 RBI). In the circle, the Badgers have posted a 1.77 team ERA led by Haley Hestekin (2.00 ERA, 13-3, 101.1 IP) and Kaitlyn Menz (1.83 ERA, 13-5, 88.0 IP).

The Badgers lead the all-time series, 24-16. The last time these two teams met was in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament as the Hoosiers came away with a 4-0 win. Then-freshman pitcher Tara Trainer tossed a complete game shutout in the victory, fanning six batters. The last time the Hoosiers played at Goodman Diamond was last season's Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers went 1-1 at the field, defeating Illinois before falling to Minnesota in the Semifinals.

LAST TIME OUT
Indiana took the series against Maryland last weekend at Andy Mohr Field, winning the opener and the rubber match. Despite falling in the middle game, IU outscored Maryland in the series. 21-5, including earning a pair of run-rule victories.

TARA TRAINER DRAFTED BY NPF'S AUSSIE PEPPERS
• On Monday, Indiana senior pitcher Tara Trainer was selected by the Minnesota-based Aussie Peppers with the 21st pick in the 2019 National Pro Fastpitch Draft.

• Trainer became the fourth Hoosier to be drafted by the NPF in history, joining Morgan Melloh (2011), Tory Yamaguchi (2008) and Stormy Hanson (2004).

• At 22-7, Trainer is the first Hoosier to reach at least 20 wins in a season since Morgan Melloh did so in 2011, in addition she now ranks seventh in single season wins. For her career, Trainer's 64 victories is good for fourth all-time.

• Trainer collected nine more strikeouts against the Terrapins, bringing her season total to 195, 11th-most in a single season at Indiana. Trainer now owns four of the top 12 spots in the record book for single season strikeouts. Her 767 career strikeouts continues to stand as the second-most in program history.

• Trainer has made 159 appearances in her IU career, which is second all-time at Indiana. In addition, her 123 games started is third all-time while her 696.2 IP is fourth.

CLOSING IN ON STOLEN BASE RECORD
•The Hoosiers have stolen 119 bases on the season, just one short of tying the Indiana single-season program record of 120 set in 1987.

• Indiana has nearly double the stolen bases of any other Big Ten team as Nebraska is the next closest with 60.

• Nationally, Indiana ranks fourth in total stolen bases and sixth in stolen bases per game average (2.59).

• Three different Hoosiers have 19 stolen bases to lead the team - Taylor Lambert, Gabbi Jenkins and Makayla Ferrari. Jenkins now has 58 stolen bases in her career, good for sixth in program history. 

NEWS AND NOTES
• For the first time since the 2012 season, the Hoosiers have reached 30 wins on the year. At 31-15, IU has the best record since the 2011 campaign (37-18).

• The Hoosiers came in at No. 40 in this week's NCAA RPI. The Badgers are on spot ahead at No. 39.

• Indiana has faced or will face 17 opponents who are in the Top 100 of the RPI, for a grand total of 32 games. In addition, IU has eight opponents in the Top 50 with 14 total games coming against them. Not including future opponents Wisconsin and Rutgers (RPI - 82), IU has a 14-12 mark in games against Top 100 teams this season, most notably a March 1 victory versus No. 6 LSU.

• Freshman Taylor Askland saw her first career action in the circle in Saturday's finale against Maryland, tossing the final inning.

• Freshman Brittany Ford delivered three pinch-hit singles against Maryland over the weekend, two of which brought in a run. First, she singled in the fifth inning Friday to seal a walk-off run-rule win. She again delivered an RBI single in the second game of the series before loading the bases on a third-inning single in the finale.

• Sophomore Maddie Westmoreland has batted her way to a team-best .320 average at the plate and has picked up at least one hit in 12 of the last 15 games. During that stretch, which dates back to the start of the Ohio State series on March 22, she is batting .429 with 18 hits, 10 RBI, 5 doubles and 7 runs.

• Sophomore Grayson Radcliffe's bat has been on fire as she again turned in an impressive weekend against the Terrapins, batting .750 with three multi-hit outings and a 1.375 slugging percentage.  Dating back to Indiana's March 31 win against Michigan State, Radcliffe is batting .519 with 14 hits, 14 RBI and nine runs. In that nine-game stretch, she has posted six multi-hit outings and reach base successfully in every single game. For the season, Radcliffe leads the team in home runs (7), RBI (31) and total bases (70).

WHAT'S AHEAD IN 2019
Including this weekend, the Hoosiers have just nine contests remaining in the regular season. Indiana will host Rutgers for Senior Weekend April 28-28 before traveling to Penn State May 3-5. IU will then return home to host the 2019 Big Ten Tournament.

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Inning #1:  Hoosiers go down in order.  Tara Trainer on the mound for us and gives up a leadoff home run.  UGH!   She then walks the second batter she faces on 4 straight pitches who is later caught stealing for out #2 but then Wisky hits a double.  Next batter also hits a double but the runner at second base is cut down at the plate to end the inning so we escape only trailing 1-0.  Wisky with 3 hits all for extra bases plus a Trainer walk.  Not an encouraging start.

Inning #2:   With one out, Maddie Westmoreland singles.  Paige Chitwood pinch runs and steals second but we leave her there.  Wisky leads off with a single and gets the runner to third with one out.  An infield pop-up and Trainer's first strikeout of the night ends the inning.  Wisconsin leads 1-0.

Here's the first inning play at the plate that saved a run for us.

 

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Inning #3:  Bella Norton leads us off with a single; Juvia Davis in to pinch run.  Tete Hart strikes out and Davis is picked off first by the catcher.  UGH #2.  Taylor Lambert draws a 2-out walk and steals second but Jenkins strikes out.    Wisky gets its leadoff batter on with a walk advancing to second on a fielder's choice but 2 fly outs end the inning.  After 3, Wisconsin leads 1-0.

Inning #4:  Katie Lacefield with a 1-out walk and with 2-outs steals second but we leave her there.  And again, Wisky gets its leadoff batter on base this time with a single their fifth hit off Trainer.  Advances to second on a sacrifice bunt and scores on a 2-out triple making it 2-0 Wisconsin after 4 innings.

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Inning #5:  Hart with a 2-out walk and promptly steals second.  Lambert with a walk puts 2 runners on but we leave them stranded - 5 LOB thus far.   And for the 5th straight inning, Wisky with its leadoff batter on base courtesy of Trainer's 3rd walk of the night and the next batter also gets on so 2 runners on and no outs.  A Wisky double scores both and it's a 4-0 ball game and still nobody out.  UGH #3.   And that's all for Trainer as Emily Goodin takes the mound with a runner on second and nobody out and promptly walks the first batter she faces then strikes out the next 3 to get us out of the inning but it's a 4-0 WIsconsin lead.     

Trainer charged with all 4 runs; allowed 7 hits (5 for extra bases); 2 K; 3 BB.  

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Inning #6:  Radcliffe leads us off with a walk and steals second moves to third with 2 out but we leave our 6th runner on base.   Wisky leadoff hitter with a walk advances to second on a sacrifice bunt.  We intentionally walk a batter and then the next batter singles driving in a run and it's now 5-0; runners on first and second with one out but we get out of the inning with no further damage.

Inning #7:  Last gasp for our Hoosiers.  With 2 out, Cam Woodall is HBP but is forced at second and that's the ballgame.  Final score 5-0.  We only managed 2 hits.  We drew 5 walks but couldn't ever put anything together leaving 7 runners on base.  Try again tomorrow.

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About 30 minutes away from today's game and freshman Taylor Askland is getting the start.  Askland's IU career to date consists of 1 inning pitched against Maryland last weekend when she relieved Trainer to start the fifth with IU leading 10-0.  In her one inning she gave up 3 hits and 1 run.

As a general question to those who more closely follow IU softball, overall has Trainer seemed less effective this season vs. last?  I've not bothered to go back and look at individual game stats but my perception is that she's had many games this year where she's given up early runs and we've had to fight back from early deficits.  Interested in what others think.  

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Well, contrary to what I saw earlier, Askland is NOT our starting pitcher but rather it's Emily Goodin.  My bad.

Inning #1:  We get Lacefield on with a walk, but Lambert, Radcliffe and Westmoreland all strike out.  In a repeat of last night's game, Wisky get its leadoff batter on with a single but nothing else.  No score after one.

Inning #2:  Cam Woodall draws a 1-out walk, steals second and advances to third on a ground out but we leave her there.   Good grief - another leadoff single for the Badgers who's then sacrificed to second.  With 2 outs, a Goodin walk puts 2 runners on but a strikeout gets us out of the inning.   Scoreless after two.  

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Inning #3:  Gabbi Jenkins leads us off with a single and steals second but once again, we can't do anything and leave another runner on base.   And in a shocking turn of events, Wisky fails to get its leadoff batter on base.  A Lacefield error puts a runner on with one out who steals second and then third and scores on a 2-run Badger homer.  After 3, Wisconsin leads 2-0.

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Inning #4:  We get one back as Maddie Westmoreland leads us off with a solo home run her 6th of the year.  Bella Norton follows up with a single.  Paige Chitwood pinch runs for Norton and is caught stealing at second.  A strikeout and a ground out ends our half of the 4th.  Goodin gets tough and strikes out the side.  2-1 Wisconsin leads.

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Inning #5:  We go 3 and out as does Wisconsin.   Score remains 2-1.

Inning #6:  Radcliffe is HBP to lead us off and advances to second on a sac. bunt.  Westmoreland walks - 2 on with 1 out.  With 2 out Cam Woodall comes through thanks in part to a centerfielder error and we take a 3-2 lead and have Woodall on second base but Baez strikes out.    

 

I have to clock out so somebody else needs to finish the game.

 

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