2023 Big Ten Softball Tournament

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

Tournament central:  https://bigten.org/sports/2023/3/16/23SBTourn.aspx

We open Thursday at 2:30 ET against the winner of Michigan - Penn State.    NOTE:  All times on the bracket are central time zone.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

In the opener of the B1G tournament #6 O$U defeated #11 Rutgers 7-4 and will play #3 Minnesota tomorrow at noon.

In today's second game, #10 Michigan leads #7 Penn State 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd.  Winner plays our Hoosiers tomorrow at 2:30 ET.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

Penn State scored a run in the 6th and another in the 7th to come from behind for a 3-2 win over Michigan and will play us tomorrow at 2:30 ET.

#8 Maryland vs #9 Iowa has just gotten underway with no score after one inning. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

#9 Iowa beat #8 Maryland 7-1 scoring 4 runs in its 7th to put the game away.  MD only had 3 hits against Jalen Adams who pitched a complete game for the Hawkeyes.  Iowa will play #1 Northwestern at 5:30 ET on Thursday.

Final game today of #5 Wisconsin vs. #12 Illinois was originally scheduled to start at 8:00 ET but will likely be closer to 8:30-8:45.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

Final game yesterday #12 Illinois beat #5 Wisconsin 8-4.

 

Today's schedule; all times ET:

Noon:  #6 O$U vs #3 Minnesota 

2:30:  #2 Indiana vs #7 Penn State

5:30:  #1 Northwestern vs. #9 Iowa 

8:00:  #4 Nebraska vs. #12 Illinois

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

Took 8 innings but #3 Minnesota defeated #6 O$U 3-2 and will play the winner of our game tomorrow at 6:00 ET.  Our game today vs. Penn State was scheduled to start at 2:30 ET but will be delayed because the Minnesota game just ended.

Friday's semifinal games are scheduled to start at 6:00 ET and at 8:30 ET but Mother Nature may have a say in the matter.  Rain is forecasted to move into the Champaign area overnight and last through early Saturday morning.  The precipitation probabilities aren't that high, but the weather service is calling for scattered thunderstorms so lightning delays are a distinct possibility.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

BOOM!  Copeland a solo HR in the bottom of the 2nd.  Hoosiers take an early 1-0 lead.

[Aaron 4,302]

The "Count is Full' meme they use on the loud speaker in reference to Sesame Street is hilarious. I was at the baseball series there last month between IU and Illinois (watching on TV today) and they used it every time the batter got into a full count there as well. 

Very creative!   

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

2-2 after 6 full innings.  Copeland went 6 innings and allowed 5 hits and 2 BB.  Johnson took the mound in the 7th.  We have just 2 hits on the day but both were HRs. 

Both teams scored in the 5th, ours coming on a Parker solo HR.   In the 6th, Penn State tied it up on a weird combination of events.  After a 2-out walk, a PSU batter hit a fly to short left centerfield but corkscrewed herself on the swing and fell to the ground .  Meanwhile, our shortstop and centerfielder collide and both went down.  Batter is able to get up and make it to first base but clearly in pain.  In the meantime, runner on first was able to come around and score to tie the game at 2-2.  Next batter lined one to left but runner on 1st couldn't get back to 3rd base after overrunning the base thinking about trying to make it home and was thrown out.  

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

The 6th inning play.

 

[Aaron 4,302]

That break for IU of foot coming off bag reminded me exactly of the play with the Cubs and Jose Lobaton that won Chicago the series over Washington. That was only other time I have seen that happen.

 

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

PSU triple in the 7th.  Oh wait, batter is out.  Relay throw to Copeland at 3rd was not in time but Copeland kept her glove on the PSU runner's body and replay camera showed the runner lifting her knee off the bag with Copeland's glove on her.  Umpires looked at the video and agreed and runner was called out.

Hoosiers went down in order in the 7th and off to extra innings we go.

 

[maharkn 1,792]

Going to be tough to win this one with the bottom of the order due up

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[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

PSU with a 2-run HR in the 8th took a 4-2 lead.  A single followed by a double and Copeland re-took the mound from Johnson who gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in her 1.2 innings and leaves runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs.  Copeland gets a strikeout to end the inning but we're down 2 runs.

[Aaron 4,302]

 

14 minutes ago, maharkn said:

Going to be tough to win this one with the bottom of the order due up

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You sure;).

[Class of '66 Old Fart 85,673]

CORA BASSETT!  A 2-run double ties it at 4-4 with 1 out after the PSU misplayed a foul ball that would have been our second out.  Kern flied to left for our second out and then the PSU centerfielder made a great catch at the wall to end the 8th.

[Aaron 4,302]

This game is alternating between highlight plays and careless mistakes for both teams. PSU was an inch from winning but dropped the ball before the double in foul ground. IU was an inch from winning but an incredible catch keeps game going.

[Aaron 4,302]

Well this game is the literal the definition of a nail biter:)!

[LamarCheeks 19,574]

STONE WALK-OFF TATER!!!

HOOSIERS WIN! 

[maharkn 1,792]

 
You sure;).

Masterful play by the bottom of the lineup in the bottom of the 8th

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