Around The Game

Softball stumbles on weekend swing\nThe IU (4-8) softball team members headed into the Kay Brechtelsbauer Classic this weekend brimming with confidence, but after Saturday's double-header, their egos were a bit deflated. The Hoosiers lost both games by a score of 2-1, first falling to Indiana State (5-4) in the early game, then to host Southern Illinois (6-2) in the afternoon game. \nIU coach Sara Hayes Nottger was frustrated with the team's effort but remains optimistic for the future. \n"As a staff, we were disappointed with the approach of the team. We came out flat, and we were not swinging the bat with any confidence. If we can play with more energy and more focus, we can turn the tables and win," Nottger said in a statement. \nThe Hoosiers' offense came in short bursts, with all of it coming off of two home runs. Junior Ashley Griffiths hit a home run in the third inning against Indiana State to put them ahead. In the sixth inning, Indiana State evened the score after an IU error. The game stretched into extra innings until Indiana State junior Lacey Frankland drove in the game-winning RBI. \nIn the second game, Southern Illinois scored in each of the first two innings, putting the Hoosiers into a 2-0 hole. In the fifth inning, sophomore Mariangee Bogado hit her first home run of the season to make it a 2-1 game. \n"I was ready for the pitch. We were losing, so I knew I had to hit the pitch so that we could get a run," Bogado said. \nIU came up empty offensively the rest of the day, giving IU their second loss of the day.\nWomen's tennis wins 1, loses 1 on road \nThe No. 26 ranked IU women's tennis team split its road contests with Marquette and No. 20 Notre Dame this weekend.\nAgainst the Golden Eagles, the Hoosiers won by a landslide. Winning every match, IU began its road trip by dispatching Marquette 7-0. Dropping only one set in nine matches, the Hoosiers improved to 6-2, highlighted by blowout wins from Sarah Batty, 6-0, 6-0, and Martina Grimm, 6-1, 6-0.\nIU fell to the Fighting Irish, 5-2, in South Bend Sunday. The morning began with Notre Dame taking the doubles point, as senior duo No. 45 Linda Tran and Karie Schlukebir fell 8-4 to No. 42 ranked Irish tandem of Catrina and Christian Thompson. The only IU doubles win came from the second position. Fellow senior Grimm teamed with sophomore Sarah Batty won a hard-fought match 8-6 to try and gain some momentum heading into singles play.\nBut the Irish singles lineup was too strong, overpowing the Hoosiers and winning five matches. The two IU wins came at the hands of Tran and freshman Laura McGaffigan, both in three sets.\nMen's track finishes 6th at Big Tens\nThe men's track team finished sixth this weekend at the 2004 Big Ten Championships at the University of Michigan, one point behind fifth place Purdue and four points behind fourth place Illinois. \nIU came away with a number of impressive performances, including several second place finishes. \nSophomore All-American Sean Jefferson made one of the meet's most talented events interesting, stringing out a field that included the nation's top performer on his way to finishing second in the mile in 4:06.48. Sophomore Eric Redman finished a solid fifth with a time of 4:08.53. \nIn the 800-meters, junior Rodney Hollis came away with a surprising second place finish behind Michigan's reigning NCAA Champion Nate Brannen and just missed the IU school record with his time of 1:49.59, an NCAA provisional qualifying time. \nThe 400-meters saw freshman David Neville finish second in 47.5, also an NCAA provisional qualifier. Neville also finished fourth in the 200-meters in 21.39. \nThe distance medley relay team of Tom Burns, Ryan Sarbinoff, Russell Hollis and Stephen Haas improved on last year's third place finish by giving NCAA leader Michigan a run for its money, also finishing second in 9:51.\nSophomore Ryan Ketchum finished seventh in the shot put with a toss of 17.80 meters, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.