Indiana
Arizona softball sweeps Indiana, Marshall to stay perfect in Hillenbrand Invitational
Arizona softball’s high-powered offense kept it perfect in the Hillenbrand Invitational, sweeping a doubleheader against Indiana and Marshall on Friday.
The 22nd-ranked Wildcats beat Indiana 6-3 and then knocked off Marshall 12-4 in six innings
UA’s bats started slow in both of the games but when the second and third at bats came around the offense got going.
“Definitely think our hitters are taking the adjustments that they need to be making during the games and we’d like to see it earlier than the second or third at bat,” coach Caitlin Lowe said. “Usually when they have a good first at bat but don’t have the result, they’re pretty excited about their second and third. Just a huge credit to them.”
Here’s what happened in the wins against Indiana and Marshall.
Game One
Miranda Stoddard got her second start of the season and pitched 3.0 innings, allowed four hits, allowed three earned runs and struck out one in 53 pitches (34 strikes).
Aissa Silva came in for relief in the top of the fourth inning and earned her sixth win of the season (6-0), she pitched 4.0 innings, allowed two hits, struck out four in 65 pitches (42 strikes).
Stoddard came out firing in the top of the first, picking up the first two outs in three pitches but after two straight walks Indiana looked to capitalize with a runner in scoring position. A single allowed a runner to score from second, 1-0.
UA didn’t wait long to respond, Dakota Kennedy singled through the left side of the infield and advanced to second base on a wild pitch bringing up power hitter Carlie Scupin. Scupin drove a two-run shot over the batter’s eye for her sixth home run of the year, 2-1.
In the bottom of the third inning UA had a chance to add some insurance runs with the bases loaded and one out but two pop-ups got Indiana out of the inning clean.
After a single to the pitcher to start the top of the fourth for the Hoosiers, Indiana’s Sarah Stone hit a two-run shot over right center to give Indiana the lead back, 3-2.
Arizona responded as they had all season adding another three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
After a lead-off walk by Biehl, back-to-back perfect bunts by Jasmine Perezchica and Regan Shockey resulted in singles but back-to-back throwing errors on their hits by Indiana allowed two runs to come home for UA, 4-3.
Arizona continued to be over aggressive on the bases when Shockey got waved home from second base on a wild pitch and beat the tag, 5-3.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with runners on second and third bae Olivia DiNardo hit a SAC fly to left field which brought home Shockey, 6-3.
Game Two
After pitching four innings in relief in the game before, sophomore Silva got the start on the mound. She pitched 1.2 innings, allowed three hits, gave up one earned run, struckout three in 31 pitches (20 strikes).
“Just in a doubleheader, like that Aissa (Silva) was hot to finish the game,” Lowe said. “So, we felt like rolling her into that game was the smartest decision with that 20 minute break. They came out swinging and I think just needed a change of pace after that.”
In the top of the second inning with a runner on second Arizona turned to game one starter Stoddard for relief. She pitched 2.2 innings, allowed three hits, gave up three earned runs, struckout one in 32 pitches (23 strikes).
Brooke Mannon came in for relief in the top of the fifth inning with a runner on third and picked up the win (4-0). She pitched 1.2 innings, allowed one hit, struck out one in 21 pitches (15 strikes).
In the top of the first inning, Marshall got its offense started with a solo home run to left field, 1-0.
After Emily Schepp walked in the bottom of the second inning, Tayler Biehl hit her first career home run when she hit a two-run shot to center field putting UA up 2-1.
Marshall didn’t wait long to strike back, Brooklyn Ulrich hit a two-run home run to center field, 3-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning after two walks and a bunt, Arizona had runners on second and third base. Shockey hit an infield single and had to use all of her speed to beat out the throw to allow Allie Skaggs to score, 3-3.
Marshall looked to take advantage of a leadoff triple to start the top of the fifth inning and hit a single through the right side of the infield bringing home another run, 4-3.
After back-to-back walks for Arizona in the bottom of the fifth Arizona added a seven-run fifth inning.
With two outs Paige Dimler came up to pinch hit and drove a double to left field and two runs came home, 5-4. The very next batter Biehl added onto her night and hit a double to left center which brought home another run and added a run for UA, 6-4. Arizona’s two out rally didn’t stop there when Shockey hit a single through the right infield and brought home another two runs for Arizona, 8-4. After Kennedy singled up the middle, Scupin hit a double off the right wall and extended UA’s lead to 10-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with the bases loaded for UA, Perezchica added her first RBI of the game when she drove home Blaise Biringer, 11-4. The very next batter Shockey hit a single up the middle to score the game ending run, 12-4.
UA’s run-rule win over Marshall was its tenth game run-ruling an opponent.
Next up
Arizona’s next games are a double-header on Saturday against Indiana at 4 p.m. MT and Marshall at 6 p.m.
Indiana
Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana
Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life. The decision marked the first time in tournament history that the final weeks of the college basketball season would not be played, squashing Atlanta’s plans to host the Final Four.
When the following year rolled around, the NCAA decided that March Madness would not succumb to the virus once more.
With a vaccine only on the horizon and hundreds of Americans still dying each day, the organization announced in November of 2020 that while the tournament would go on, it would certainly not be business as usual. All 67 games, NCAA officials said, would be held in one location. Central Indiana was the first choice as Indianapolis had been on tap to host the Final Four April 3-5.
The plan, said NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt in a November 2020 IndyStar article was to present “a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”
In January the NCAA made it official: All games would be played in and around Indianapolis in a modified version of a bubble.
Holding the tournament in one place just made sense, NCAA officials told IndyStar. Unlike in a typical year when a winning team would travel multiple times before the championship, this system would minimize travel, which could inadvertently expose players and coaches to the virus.
Two months later when the tournament kicked off on March 18, 55 of the 67 games were scheduled to be played in Indianapolis venues, such as Gainbridge (then Bankers Life) Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue’s Mackey Arena and IU’s Assembly Hall also hosted games.
While the first Covid vaccine had arrived a few months earlier, few people outside of first responders and the most vulnerable had been immunized, so in an effort to avoid large crowds, the Indianapolis sites all capped tickets at 25% capacity. That meant only 17,500 people could attend games at the largest venue, Lucas Oil Stadium. The college arenas allowed far smaller audiences, with IU limiting attendance to 500 people.
A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate. Referees donned masks as much as possible as did coaches and players on the bench.
The NCAA regularly tested athletes, administering 28,311 tests Covid tests during the tournament, 15 of which came back positive.
Post-mortems after the tournament asked whether the NCAA had made the right call. Two high profile deaths occurred in the aftermath of the tournament — one a University of Alabama superfan who had traveled to Indy for the games and the other a St. Elmo bartender. But proving a direct link between their deaths and the tournament would prove impossible, and some public health experts said the NCAA had done everything it could to protect athletes and fans short of canceling the event.
A study conducted by IU, Regenstrief researchers and others that appeared in August 2021 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while mask wearing had theoretically been compulsory, about a quarter of attendees at the games were either not wearing masks or doing so inappropriately. Still, in an IndyStar article about the study Indiana Sports Corps president Ryan Vaughn termed the event “a resounding success.”
The following year, with a vaccine widely available and far fewer daily deaths from the virus, the tournament returned to a typical schedule, concluding in New Orleans’ Ceasars Superdome. More than 69,00 fans attended the final games, according to the NCAA. Local authorities had lifted the mask requirement by this point.
“Last year was about survival. Just having championships in any way, single site, keep everybody safe and be successful,” Gavitt said in an NCAA news release in late April 2022. “I think this year was about advancing.”
Indiana
Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal
Indiana
Record warmth followed by strong storms tonight | March 26, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – Strong thunderstorms likely later this evening with all severe weather threats possible. It is going to be warm and windy with record highs today. Much cooler air works into Indiana for the end of the week.
TODAY: Partly cloudy conditions later this afternoon with warm and breezy conditions. It is going to be a beautiful and summer-like day across parts of Indiana. We will look for high temperatures to climb into the lower eighties which will set a new daily high record. The record for today is 80 set back in 1907. Winds will be gusty out of the southwest near 20 to 30 mph.
TONIGHT: A cold front approaches the state bringing a really good chance of strong to severe thunderstorms. A few thunderstorms may develop out ahead of the main line and some of those thunderstorms could contain some large hail along with a tornado risk as well. We are under a level 3 risk of strong storms out of a level 5. So there is confidence that a lot of these storms could reach severe criteria. Threats would be damaging winds and large hail. The tornado risk is low across parts of Indianapolis but it is not zero. A slightly higher risk of tornadic activity is possible in northern sections of Indiana.
Heavy rainfall could also lead to some flooding in parts of the state. Areas may see anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of rainfall.
Best timing on the thunderstorm activity will be anytime after 8:00 p.m. and lasting until Friday morning around 4.
TOMORROW: A few early morning rain showers will be possible on Friday. The main weather story is that it will be much cooler. High temperatures will climb around 49 which is below our normal high of 56. Winds switch direction out of the northeast and it will be a bit breezy at times as well. Low temperatures late Friday night into Saturday morning will drop into the upper twenties.
7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: A chilly start early Saturday morning but we will see lots of sunshine for the afternoon. High temperatures will climb around 52 for the afternoon.
Cloud cover returns on Sunday but it will be dry for the most part. Look for high temperatures to climb into the lower 60s.
Warmer next week with temperatures reaching the low and even middle and upper 70s by the middle part of the week. A dry start on Monday with some scattered showers possible on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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