Indiana University Softball handles Louisville on the Road
Indiana came out on top in an offensive battle at Louisville, winning 11-6 on Tuesday night. The Hoosiers posted a season-high 16 hits in the team’s 23rd win of the season. Indiana’s season record now stands at 23-9 .Indiana got off to a hot start, scoring six runs in the top of the second to go up 6-0. The second inning featured four different Indiana batters recording an RBI (Cassidy Kettleman, Taylor Minnick, Avery Parker). Parker and Kettleman each hit a double, as well. Indiana added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning when Minnick doubled down the left field line to score Brianna Copeland and Sarah Stone singled to center field to score Minnick. In the top the fifth inning, Copeland singled through the left side with Brooke Benson scoring on the play to extend Indiana’s lead to 9-0.
Copeland’s work in the circle through five innings was instrumental to keeping Louisville’s bats at bay as she only allowed two hits. Sophie Kleiman and Alex Cooper continued Copeland’s momentum with each getting to pitch down the stretch of the game. Louisville made up a chunk of the deficit when scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 9-5 game. The Hoosiers would tack on their final two runs in the top of the sixth inning as Kettleman had an RBI single to the pitcher with her later scoring on a single from Alex Cooper. In the bottom of the sixth, Indiana recorded its second double play of the game. Benson caught a lineout at shortstop and threw Louisville’s Kiley Goff out at first. Indiana’s 16 hits were a season high. Indiana outhit Louisville, 16-9. Junior Brianna Copeland and sophomores Avery Parker and Cassidy Kettleman all had three hits on the night. Copeland, Parker and junior Taylor Minnick each had two RBI. Minnick, Parker, Kettleman and Brooke Benson each had a double, with Parker recording two. Dating back to the 2023 season, Indiana has won four games in a row over Louisville. Indiana scored six runs in the sixth inning. Indiana will play its second Big Ten series of the year when it hosts Michigan this weekend from Friday to Sunday at Andy Mohr Field.
Indiana University Baseball beats Middle Tennessee State at Bart Kaufman Field
Freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver delivered the game of his life on Tuesday evening as the Indiana Baseball team stormed to a 12-5 win over Middle Tennessee State at Bart Kaufman Field. Oliver hit his first career home run in the third inning and followed that up with a two-run blast in the eighth to put the game on ice. He recorded a career high in hits (4), runs (3), RBIs (3) and home runs (2) as the Hoosiers mashed their way to 12 runs on 15 hits. Oliver kick-started a run of back-to-back-to-back home runs along with senior outfielder Sam Murrison and junior outfielder Carter Mathison in the eighth inning.
Faced with a challenge from the coaching staff, IU’s pitchers were fantastic on Tuesday evening. Sixth-year senior Ty Rybarczyk (W, 1-1) set the tone with 3.1 innings of work with four strikeouts. He held the visitors without a hit for the first three innings. IU’s pitching staff combined for 18 punchouts, the most this season and most as a team in a nine-inning game since March 13, 2021 (18 – Penn State). Oliver (4), Mathison (3), junior infielder Brock Tibbits (3) and redshirt freshman infielder Joey Brenczewski (2) all had multi-hit days in the victory. Tibbitts now has 179 hits for his career. Mathison (35 career home runs) is just one away from moving into top-10 in program history. The Hoosiers head to Indianapolis tonight to begin a four-game slate with Butler. The final three contests of the series will be in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday.
Edgewood opens the High School Softball Season with a win at Bloomington North
Edgewood opened the 2024 HS Softball Season with a 13-2 5 inning victory at Bloomington North Tuesday Night. Ally Bland struck out eight and scattered four hits and had plenty of backing in the five-inning win to open the season for the Mustangs. Edgewood had 11 hits, including a pair of two-run homers by Madi Bland and Ella Sproul, and scored in every inning, starting with a four-run first. Piper Stephens and Ava Laroche also had two hits and Sproul had three RBI. Grayson Gill had a two-run homer in the second for the Cougars. Molly Klein took the loss, working the first two innings with Kendyl Feutz finishing up for Bloomington North. Edgewood is back in action tonight when they travel to Eastern Greene at 5:30pm while Bloomington North hosts Columbus East at 6pm.
Bloomington South Track and Field Sweeps Edgewood in the Season Opener
Bloomington South opened the 2024 Outdoor Track and Field Season with a sweep over its County Rival Edgewood Mustangs Tuesday Night at Bloomington South. The Panthers Girls won 75-43 and the Boys won 99-19. On the Girls side South freshman Lexi Kollbaum records a 5:13.00 to win the 1,600 by 14 seconds over Edgewood’s Hannah Crain. South sophomore Ellie Barada clocks a 2:17.65. Annalise Coyne won the 300 hurdles in 51.77. Edgewood’s Emma Edwards won high jump at 5-0 and Ashley Abram won pole vault at 9-6. For the Boys South’s Khaliq Akou, 100 (11.38) 200 (23.05) and Alex Shaevitz, Long Jump (20-8.75) High Jump (6-0) pick up two wins. South swept the relays. The 3,200 and 3,200 relay were not run. Edgewood boys got wins from Chris Davis in shot put and in a terrific finish in the 1,600, Jackson Klinger (4:41.27) edged South’s Hunter Tabor (4:41.33) and Suoming Zhang (4:42.38).
Indiana State University Men’s Basketball is heading to the NIT Semifinals in Indianapolis
Top-seeded Indiana State made sure to put on a show in the Hulman Center, defeating the No. 2 Cincinnati Bearcats 85-81 in the NIT quarterfinal. The game was tied up at 77 with 1:03 to play when Robbie Avila scored a go-ahead three-pointer. The Sycamores relied on free throws for the final minute, shooting 74.1% from the line during the matchup. Avila scored a team-high 22 points, while Pike product Ryan Conwell finished with 18 points. Butler transfer Simas Lukosious racked up a game-high 26 points for Cincinnati. Indiana State moves on to face Utah in Hinkle Fieldhouse Tuesday Night at 7pm with the game televised on ESPN.
2024 Indiana Boys Basketball Junior All Star team announced
The IndyStar Indiana boys Junior All-Stars team is set. Ben Davis guard Mark Zackery IV, who will play in Saturday’s Class 4A state championship against top-ranked Fishers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, is one of six members of the core team. The 6-1 Zackery, who played a key role on last year’s Ben Davis state championship team and was a star on the Giants’ Class 6A state championship football team in the fall, is averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 assists for the 23-5 Giants. The core Junior All-Stars will play the Kentucky Junior All-Stars on June 2 at Scottsburg High School (2 and 4 p.m.) and June 5 against the Indiana All-Stars at Kokomo (6 and 8 p.m.). The core group with be joined by the Red Group for the game at Scottsburg and the Blue Group for the game against the Indiana All-Stars in Kokomo.
The Red Group: Jeffersonville 6-3 guard Michael Cooper; New Palestine 6-3 guard Julius Gizzi; Fishers’ 6-1 guard JonAnthony Hall; Richmond 6-5 guard Cedric Horton; Jeffersonville 6-8 forward Tre Singleton; and Evansville Harrison 6-3 guard Shane Sims. The Blue Group: Fort Wayne Wayne 6-1 guard Chase Barnes; Anderson 6-4 guard Damien King; South Bend St. Joseph 6-4 guard Chase Konieczny; East Chicago Central 6-5 guard Dominque Murphy; Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian 6-9 forward Kellen Pickett; and 6-2 Valparaiso guard Jack Smiley. Wapahani’s Matt Luce, who will coach the Raiders in the Class 2A state championship on Saturday, is the Junior All-Stars’ coach. He will be assisted by Michigan City’s Tom Wells. The Indiana All-Stars will play the Kentucky All-Stars on June 7 at a still-to-be determined location in Kentucky. The return game is June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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