Indiana Hoosiers softball team loses to Michigan in Big Ten tournament finals

No. 8 seed Indiana softball lost 3-1 on Saturday afternoon to No. 2 seed Michigan in the Big Ten tournament finals at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Wolverines scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Brianna Copeland walked lead off hitter Ellie Sisler and Indiana Langford to open the frame. They advanced into scoring position on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error by reliever Sophie Kleiman.

Copeland exited the game in the fifth having only allowed two base hits against a Michigan team that scored 32 runs with 42 hits against IU during a three-game series earlier this season.

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Indiana (40-18) threatened in the top of the seventh when Aaliyah Andrews singled to center and Alex Cooper walked on a 3-2 count with one out, but Michigan's ace Lauren Derkowski shut the rally down. Derkowski, who pitched every inning in the tournament for her team, allowed seven hits and two walks over seven innings and had six strikeouts.

Andrews gave the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a double that scored freshman Aly VanBrandt. Avery Parker hit a double in the sixth inning, but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

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Copeland, Andrews, Cooper, VanBrandt and Brooke Benson were all named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Andrews was 3 for 3 with an RBI on Saturday.

Indiana will find out its postseason fate on Sunday night during the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament selection show that airs at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The Hoosiers are looking to make the tournament for a second straight year for the first time since 1985-86.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU softball loses to Michigan in Big Ten tournament finals