Team needs confidence

After being swept by Michigan and Michigan State in Big Ten Conference play last weekend, the IU softball team returns to action today against Wright State at the IU Softball Field. The Raiders and Hoosiers are scheduled to play a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.\nIU enters the match-up with a 9-19-1 overall record, while Wright State is 5-15. Wright State was swept by Miami (Ohio) Sunday, the first games they had played since defeating Drexel on March 24. The Hoosiers are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak as they also got their last win on March 24 with a 7-1 win over Butler.\nSenior captain catcher/third baseman Brooke Monroe expressed the Hoosiers emotions about the current skid.\n"We are definitely kind of frustrated," Monroe said. "Coach told us after the game that we are at a new starting point and all we can go from here is up and I think that's our goal."\nJunior third baseman/catcher Stormy Hanson still leads the Hoosiers with a .351 batting average, despite going one-for-12 last weekend. Hanson's lone hit was a solo home run in her last at bat of the weekend.\nSophomore outfielder Abby Stark was the Hoosiers most consistent weekend hitter, going five-for-nine and improving her batting average from .300 to .329. Stark had a double, a home run, two runs scored and two runs batted in on the weekend.\n"I think my confidence has improved from being aggressive at the plate and trying to take one pitch at a time," Stark said of her improved hitting. "Bad cut or whatever, I just go up there with a new game face."\nThe IU pitching staff was hit hard in their weekend appearances, allowing 32 runs in the four games. In 10 1/3 innings pitched freshman hurler Katie Witham was knocked for 20 hits and allowed 17 runs, 13 of which were earned. Sophomore Heather Stillians threw 1 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits. Senior ace Alison Cooke pitched 10 innings, gave up 10 runs, seven being earned runs, on 13 hits. Prior to the weekend, the IU staff earned run average was 2.98, after the weekend, their earned run average was up to 3.55.\nWright State is led by sophomore outfielder Amy Price, who in the Raiders two games has five doubles, two home runs, twelve runs scored and eight runs batted in. Price also leads Wright State with a .381 batting average. The Raider pitching staff is led by junior Kristin Bultinck with a 4-7 record and eight complete games while posting a 2.96 earned run average.\nThroughout the Hoosiers' current nine-game slide, the IU squad has failed to put together a complete game in the mind of head coach Diane Stephenson. But Stephenson said if the Hoosiers can put all facets of the game together, they could be an explosive team.\n"I think our goal is still to play a solid game all the way around, pitching, hitting and defense," Stephenson said. "We have only had a few of those this year. We know that we have solid pitching and we know we have solid defense and we know we have solid offense, but it is just a matter of getting it all going on the same day"