665 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/02/09 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (5-24, 1-3) lost in the toughest fashion – via a walk-off home run in extra innings.Evansville (8-18, 2-8) knocked IU off 4-3 on a ninth-inning home run from the tip of second baseman Kristen Shirk’s bat.“We just didn’t finish the game,” senior shortstop Emily Bergeson said.The senior stepped up with a 2 RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game for the Hoosiers at 3-3.The loss will be charged to sophomore pitcher Sara Olsen (4-6) in the stat book, but Olsen did all she could to keep the Hoosiers alive. The sophomore pitcher was able to hold the Purple Aces to two earned runs in five and one-thirds innings of work.On top of that, Olsen got the Hoosier rally going with a solo home run to start off the seventh inning.Although the Hoosiers suffered a tough loss, they were able to take away a couple of positives.“We learn from every situation,” Bergeson said. “We kept battling, and that’s the No. 1 thing.The loss marks the fourth-straight one-run game the Hoosiers have played in. With talented Northwestern next on the schedule, IU knows it has to have a short-term memory.“We need to clear our heads and focus on this weekend,” Bergeson said.
(03/31/09 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (5-23, 1-3) will take a short trip south on Tuesday to take on Evansville (7-18, 2-8).Coming off three straight one- home-run games, the Hoosiers hope to put more distance between them and the Purple Aces. In order for the Hoosiers to do this, they will need to keep getting performances like what they got from senior Emily Bergeson this past weekend (4-for-6, two home runs).The Hoosier shortstop went through a drought after starting the year as the team’s leading hitter. Bergeson said she was putting too much pressure on herself at the plate.“I stopped trying so hard,” Bergeson said. “I was able to clear my mind.”The Hoosiers will need to clear their minds of Evansville’s record in order to knock off the in-state opponent. IU hopes to avoid going into the game overconfident.“We know that (we) haven’t really beaten any of the good teams yet,” Bergeson said. “We just need wins on our record.”With a strong chance of rain in today’s forecast, the team will have to worry not only about Evansville, but also the weather. In the event of a rainout, the Hoosiers would push the game back to Wednesday afternoon.
(03/24/09 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After falling to Minnesota at home this past weekend to open up the Big Ten season, the Hoosiers (3-21, 0-2) will look to sneak up on No. 15 Lousiville (26-3, 4-0) at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.Not only do the Cardinals come into Tuesday night’s contest with their highest national ranking in program history, but also as winners of 14 out of their 15 games. In their losses this season, their opponents scored a combined nine runs.But the Hoosiers welcome the midweek challenge to take on one of the nation’s best teams.“We know going in that we are the underdogs,” junior outfielder Kelli Ritchison said.The Hoosiers have struggled to put runs on the board, which plays into Louisville’s hand well because of their ability to shut down any offense. The Cardinals have been able to shut out their opponent three out of their last four games.“Our main goal is to get the bat on the ball,” Ritchison said. “We can’t wait five or six innings to figure out a pitcher.”Although their schedule has not been an easy one, the Hoosiers still have the confidence to pull off a big upset Tuesday.“We’re better than what our record says we are,” Ritchison said.– Connor O’Gara
(03/13/09 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a 12-day layoff since their last game, IU (1-15) will looks to refocus going into this weekend at the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla.The Hoosiers will have to execute on both sides of the ball if they plan on snapping the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles’ 17-game winning streak. The Eagles (25-4) will take on the Hoosiers in the opening game 4 p.m. Friday.Even though the Hoosiers’ record shows a lack of success, IU coach Michelle Gardner has continued to emphasize a positive outlook. Her attitude has rubbed off on some of the veterans.“The whole atmosphere is more positive this year,” junior outfielder Kelli Ritchison said.The 12-day break came at a bit of an inconvenient time for Ritchison, who finished the tournament 5-for-14 and has been promoted to the top of the Hoosier batting order.After playing with a broken finger last year, the junior is looking to give the team a boost.“We need to score more runs, and we need to put the bat on the ball,” Ritchison said. “It’s a brand-new tournament and a brand-new weekend for us.”– By Connor O’Gara
(02/04/09 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Practices are tough to watch these days for Tory Yamaguchi.Whenever she spots a catcher’s mitt, the former IU softball standout can’t help but reminisce of the days when she signaled for changeups and fastballs.“I have so many fond memories being a player here,” Yamaguchi said. “But I think I’m ready to watch the game outside the diamond now.”Not as a spectator, though.Rather, the Hoosiers’ all-time home run leader begins what she hopes will become a successful coaching career. And lucky for her, she’s going to start by volunteering this season for IU – the school she still calls her home away from home.“When I found out IU hired (head coach) MichelleGardner, I e-mailed her instantly,” Yamaguchi said. “I told her I had a year left of grad school and was eager to learn the art of coaching.”It’s no surprise Gardner granted Yamaguchi’s request. After all, Gardner added a pro to her staff.Last February, Yamaguchi was one of 24 college seniors chosen in the National Pro Fastpitch draft. Even though going pro wasn’t her priority, she saw the experience as another opportunity to sharpen her knowledge of the game. When her senior season ended in Bloomington, it was off to Allentown, Pa., for a summer job of playing ball with the Philadelphia Force.“Turning pro was honestly an afterthought,” Yamaguchi said. “Most players stop after college and move on to something else.”That plan wasn’t Yamaguchi’s, though.When she joined the Force she found herself behind a veteran catcher. Making matters worse, the team picked up another catcher who supplemented the College World Series game-winning pitcher.Her job, consequently, was to warm pitchers up.“Don’t feel bad for me about my pro experience,” Yamaguchi said. “I actually had a great time in the bullpen learning from some of the best players around. I earned their respect.”Yamaguchi knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles. In 2003, her first season with the cream and crimson, she had to redshirt due to a shoulder surgery.After two years of ball, her health once again took a turn for the worse. The star-studded catcher had to do the unthinkable – move back home for the year because of a serious illness.“When I was injured and sick it was really hard to watch the games, let alone not be around the team,” Yamaguchi said. “But it was never like ‘Boy, I’ll never recover.’ I was eager to get back as soon as possible and show my teammates that an injury or illness won’t stop me from playing the game I love.”Picking the brain of this softball mastermind, one quickly realizes there’s nothing but herself that can stop her from succeeding.She’s the type of player who’s bound to become a head coach one day.There’s a saying in baseball that goes, “Catchers always make good coaches” because they act as the commanders in the field while still playing. The same can be said of softball.“Since I was little, my goal was to get four years of collegiate softball in,” Yamaguchi said. “Now that those days are over, I’m ready to coach and help the Hoosiers succeed.”