The Indiana Hoosiers (40-13, 16-7) notched their 40th victory of the season for just the seventh time in program history behind Alex Cooper’s two doubles and three runs batted in. Indiana knocked off Illinois 7-3 in the second game of a three-game series.
The Hoosiers fell behind early again as Eileen Donahue hit her second two-run home run in as many days and Jackie Yeager’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1 in the top of the fourth.
As they have done all season, the Hoosiers battled back after an early hole. The Hoosiers took the lead with a big bottom of the fourth inning.
Aly VanBrandt knocked in Indiana’s second run with a single, setting up a bases-loaded situation for Cooper. A day after stranding seven runners on base, Cooper was not going to let her opportunity go to waste. Cooper laced a three-run double to right-center that put the Hoosiers ahead for good. She finished with two doubles and three RBI on the day.
Indiana would add two more runs later in the game with a Hannah Haberstroh RBI double in the fifth and Peyton Drummond scored on a wild pitch in the sixth.
Taylor Hess started in the circle for Indiana and went three innings. She allowed three runs on three hits, walked three and struck out three. Do everything Brooke Mannon earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 innings of one-hit ball. Mannon also had three hits and drove in a run at the plate. Friday night’s starter Aubree Hooks finished the game, pitching 1.2 innings.
Big Ten Tournament Implications for Indiana
The Indiana win, coupled with Northwestern’s loss to Minnesota, puts the Hoosiers a game up on the Wildcats and are in a tie with Washington for fourth place in the Big Ten. The top four finishers in the conference earn a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament next week.
Northwestern hosts Minnesota at 8 pm Sunday night, while Washington finishes their series at Ohio State at 1 pm. The Hoosiers and Illini finish their three-game set at Andy Mohr Field at 1 pm.
The Big Ten’s tie-breaking procedures can be found HERE.
