CLEARWATER, Fla. | Indiana used a four-run sixth inning to rally back and pick up a 5-1 victory over South Alabama Sunday afternoon on the final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic held at Eddie C. Moore Complex.
South Alabama (1-3) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the fifth, but after being limited to just a pair of hits through the first five innings, the Hoosiers (3-1) scored four runs on two hits to take the lead for good.Â
Odalys Cordova was 2-for-3 at the plate, while
Mackenzie Brasher and
Meredith Keel also reached base twice with a hit and a walk.
Stephanie Gonzalez came off the bench to record a double and drive in the Jags' lone run of the contest.
Indiana was led at the plate by Brooke Benson who was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
South Alabama head coach Becky Clark
- On what can be taken from the weekend: "When you play good teams, you figure out where you are and what things you need to work on. This weekend gave us a lot of areas that we need to take a step forward in going into this upcoming week. I think it's there and its about making decisions to take that step forward. It's always a good thing to challenge yourself and that's why we don't play a cupcake-schedule. The only way to grow is to challenge yourself. The key is to learn the lessons that the challenge gives you. The question for us is 'Are we going to receive those lessons and let that do something with us, or are we going to choose to ignore it?' I have confidence in this group that they will figure out the areas that we need to take a step forward and make the decision to do so."
Indiana 5, South Alabama 1Â
South had a scoring chance in the opening frame as Brasher (walk) and Marley Sims (single) reached to start the frame and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but IU starting pitcher Brianna Copeland was able to get a fly out to left to end the inning.
The Jags finally broke a scoreless tie with Gonzalez's pinch-hit RBI double in the bottom of the fifth
After a leadoff walk began the top of the sixth, Benson took a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center to plate a pair of runs for the Hoosiers. IU later added a pair of sacrifice flies to extend its lead to 4-1.
Benson then gave the Hoosiers an insurance run an inning later with a RBI infield single.
Scoring Summary
•   5th Inn | Gonzalez pinch-hit, ground-rule double to left field, RBI;
Victoria Ortiz scored (1-0, USA)
•   6th Inn | Benson homered to left center, 2 RBI; Cora Bassett scored (1-2, IU)
•   6th Inn | Macy Montgomery flied out to lf, SF, RBI; Copeland advanced to third; Abby Meeks scored (1-3, IU)
•   6th Inn | Taylor Minnick flied out to lf, SF, RBI; Copeland scored, unearned (1-4, IU)
•   7th Inn | Benson singled to shortstop, RBI; Kinsey Mitchell scored, unearned (1-5, IU)
Postgame Notes
•   Sunday's meeting was the first between the two programs and the second time in four games this spring that South has faced an opponent from the Big 10
•  For her play over the weekend, Jaguar pitcher
Jenna Hardy was selected to the all-tournament team
•   Brasher extended her hit streak to six games dating back to the end of the 2022 season with her third-inning single back up the middle
•   With her seventh-inning, two-out, infield single in the bottom of the seventh, Keel also extended her hit streak as she has now had at least one hit in all four games this spring
•   The two-hit performance marked the first multi-hit game of the season for Cordova
•   The home run allowed to Benson marked the first given up by Jaguar pitching this spring, ending a string of 26 straight innings
•   South Alabama left nine runners on base and was 2-for-17 with runners on and 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position
Up Next
•   South Alabama will return home to host the Mardi Gras Classic hosted by BeeBee's Termite & Pest Control, the first of two scheduled home tournaments. The Jaguars will open up the Mardi Gras Classic on Fri., Feb. 17 with a pair of games against Missouri State and Mississippi Valley State. First pitch versus the Bears is set for 12:30 p.m. at Jaguar Field in Mobile Ala.
FOLLOW THE JAGS
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