Indiana Closes DeMarini Invite With 5-4 Comeback Win Over East Carolina

March 4, 2012

Box Score

FULLERTON, Calif. - Indiana's freshman pitcher Lora Olson threw one of her best games of the season and Amanda Wagner came through with a RBI single in the fifth inning to help Indiana (9-10) pull out a 5-4 victory against East Carolina on Sunday at the DeMarini Invitational.

Olson (6-6) went the distance in the circle, her fifth complete game of the season, and gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out three. She used a solid mix of offspeed pitched a great location to pick up the victory.

The IU offense banged out nine hits in the game, the most hits in a game this weekend, led by a pair of hits from Wagner and Bloomington North product Kelsey Brannon. Jenna Abraham hit her team-leading fourth home run of the year to tie the game in the fifth inning after ECU (7-9) had taken the lead the inning prior.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the fourth inning with some help from the Indiana defense, as they plated two runs, only one of which was earned.

The Hoosiers responded in style in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs of their own to regain the lead. Cassie Gogreve and Kelsey Brannon logged one out singles before Samantha Berenter delivered a double to left field to make it 2-1. Then with a pair of runners in scoring position, Samantha Heyman dropped a single into right field to plate Brannon. When the throw went through to the plate, Heyman broke for second base, distracting the defense and allowing Berenter to score the third run of the inning to make it 3-2.

East Carolina responded in the fifth with two more runs to take a 4-3 lead.

But once again, the lead was short lived thanks to the top of the IU lineup. Abraham, who was hitting leadoff for the Hoosiers, drilled the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the fifth over the fence in center field for a home run. The inning continued with Breanna Saucedo drawing a walk and moving to second on a sac bunt by Brianna Meyer, allowing Wagner's single back up the middle to score the go ahead run and make it 5-4.

Olson took over in the final two innings, not allowing the Pirates to mount a scoring opportunity and closed the game in style with a strikeout of the ECU cleanup hitter.

Indiana will travel to Norma, Okla., next week for the OU Spring Festival against Wichita State and Oklahoma.