“We are consistently inconsistent,” MSU head coach Jacquie Joseph said.

“That’s it. If you don’t bring it every day, every inning of every game then things (won’t) happen. This is really what we’ve done most of the year — win a game, lose a game.”

A home run in the seventh inning by freshman shortstop Bianca Mejia gave the Spartans two runs to win the first game on Sunday and defeat the Hoosiers.

In the second game, MSU gave up a 6-2 lead in the seventh to lose 9-7. A strong Indiana (13-31 overall, 3-11 Big Ten) offense pulled off a home run and two RBIs to win the game.

Freshman outfielder Jessica Bracamonte hit a three-run homer, which gave the Spartans the lead, but MSU could not hold on.

“I don’t feel like (the home run) was all for naught,” Bracamonte said. “I feel like we battled, and we worked really hard. But you’re going to come across teams that just won’t give up, and we’ve just got to get better. I don’t feel like it’s what we did wrong, I feel like it’s what we didn’t do right.

“I don’t feel like there’s anything physically more we can do, I feel like it’s all mentally. We’ve just got to step it up mentally and just be determined.”

In a last ditch effort, the Spartans (23-21, 7-7) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh but could not capitalize.

“We just didn’t pitch well enough in the second game,” Joseph said.

“We just have to continue to get better. We left a lot of people as well and had a lot of chances, but we didn’t play well defensively. It’s not just one thing.”

Senior outfielder Nikki Nicosia suffered a slight knee injury when she tried for a double in the third inning. Nicosia overran the base and attempted to slide back to first but bumped her knee.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll be back on Tuesday,” Nicosia said. “It’s a little banged up. I’d say it’s just a really bad bruise if anything.”

Joseph added Nicosia’s injury would be evaluated Monday.

The Spartans take on Bowling Green at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Old College Field.