TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Sycamores will face Purdue Fort Wayne at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, followed by a 4 p.m. matchup against EKU. On Sunday, Indiana State will play Purdue Fort Wayne at 10 a.m. and EKU at 12:30 p.m., which will be carried live on ESPN+.
Last Time Out:
Indiana State softball closed out a competitive weekend at the Tennessee Invitational, finishing with a 2-3 record highlighted by standout performances both in the circle and at the plate.
The Sycamores opened play on Friday with a hard-fought 4-1 loss to UT Martin, despite a career-best 11 strikeouts from Lauren Sackett.
Livi Colip drove in Indiana State's lone run with a sacrifice fly, while the Sycamores collected nine hits in the contest.
Later that evening, Indiana State faced off against tournament host and seventh-ranked Tennessee, falling 8-0 in six innings.
The Sycamores bounced back on Saturday, starting with a 9-1 win over Delaware State in six innings. Abby Widmar led the offense with four RBIs, including a two-run double, while Sophie Esposito and Madison Poulson each recorded two hits.
In the circle, Cassi Newbanks earned the win with four shutout innings, and Lauren Sackett closed out the game with two strong frames in relief.
Indiana State carried that momentum into their second game of the day, a 4-0 shutout victory over UT Martin, led by Hailey Griffin's no-hitter — the 13th of her collegiate career.
Griffin struck out 10 batters in her dominant performance, while the Sycamores offense provided early run support with a two-run triple from Esposito and a solo home run from Hannah Welch, the first of her career.
Indiana State's weekend concluded on Sunday in the tournament championship game, where the Sycamores fell 6-0 to Tennessee.
Griffin and Sackett combined for six strikeouts, and the Sycamores threatened to score in the fourth inning but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position. Brailey Mills and Morgan Goodrich provided hits in the loss.
Sycamore Standouts:
Brailey Mills has been a standout offensive player for the Sycamores, leading the team with a .324 batting average. In 17 games, including 14 starts, she has accumulated 12 hits two RBIs, while scoring seven times.
Madison Poulson has been a consistent offensive force for the Sycamores, posting a .283 batting average. With 17 starts on the season, she has recorded 15 hits, including two doubles, driven in two RBIs, and has scored eight runs.
Abby Widmar has been a key run producer for the Sycamores this season, leading the team with 11 RBIs. Her power at the plate is evident with two home runs, contributing to her .321 batting average.
Hannah Welch has been a steady contributor for the Sycamores, starting all 18 games this season. She has recorded 14 hits, including two doubles and one home run. Welch recently hit her first collegiate home run in the Sycamores shutout win over UT Martin last weekend. She has also been perfect on the basepaths, going 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.
In the Circle:
Hailey Griffin (3-4) delivered a standout performance in the Sycamores 4-0 shutout win over UT Martin last weekend at the Tennessee Invitational, tossing a no-hitter to lead the team. Griffin has been a force on the mound this season, with a 2.26 ERA. Over 40.1 innings, she has surrendered just 27 hits, 21 runs, and 13 earned runs while striking out 36 batters.
Lauren Sackett has been a consistent force for the Sycamores this season, registering a 2.88 ERA over 41.1 innings and striking out 35 batters. She delivered a standout performance last weekend, setting a career-high with 11 strikeouts.
Cassi Newbanks picked up her second win of the season last weekend in the Sycamores 9-1 victory over Delaware State. She delivered a strong performance in the circle, helping secure the win. Newbanks has made six appearances in 2025, where she has struck out 11 batters while allowing 28 hits and 20 runs scored.
Scouting Opponents:
Purdue Fort Wayne enters this weekend with a 2-10 record, having recently gone 0-4 in their latest tournament. The Mastodons first fell to Central Arkansas 8-0, then to Purdue in two games, 11-1 and 6-2, before suffering a 16-4 defeat to Southern Illinois.
Grace Hollopeter has started and played in all 12 games for Purdue Fort Wayne this season, posting a .265 batting average and an .859 OPS over 12 games. She has recorded nine hits, including two doubles and two home runs, while driving in six RBIs.
Alanah Jones has a 4.95 ERA with a 1-6 record over 41.0 innings this season. Jones has struck out 27 batters while allowing 55 hits and 35 runs scored.
EKU enters this weekend with a 13-5 record, having gone a perfect 5-0 last weekend. They secured victories over UIC, winning 7-0 and 9-0 in 5 innings, then defeated Akron 7-4 and 4-0, and capped off the weekend with a 5-2 win over Dayton.
Maddi Rutan is hitting .382 with five home runs and 22 RBIs this season. She has a 1.171 OPS and has scored 11 runs in 18 games. Rutan recorded a home run in each of EKU's victories over UIC last weekend, contributing to their 7-0 and 9-0 wins.
Victoria Byrum is 5-0 with a 1.70 ERA and a .169 opponent batting average. She has struck out 34 batters in 33.0 innings this season, allowing 20 hits and eight runs scored.
Up Next: The Sycamores will travel to Champaign, Illinois, for their first midweek matchup of the season against Illinois on Tuesday, March 11, at 6 p.m. ET.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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