Hoosiers sweep Indiana State

IU was able to wrack up 18 runs in its doubleheader against Indiana State Wednesday, avenging its eight-inning loss to the Sycamores Feb. 28. The Hoosiers jumped all over ISU in the first game, winning 13-2 in five innings. They were able to fight back from a two-run deficit and score five runs in the fourth inning to win game two 5-2.\n"To have the opportunity to relax, to swing the bats and play a non-conference game where we have good weather and we are on our home turf, I think those are all some motivators," IU coach Sara Hayes Nottger said. "But I think to avenge the loss from early in the year was definitely one of them, as well."\nThe first game of the day was never close as the run support came in masses in the first few innings. The Hoosiers scored 13 runs in the first four innings including a first-inning grand slam from sophomore designated hitter Lauren Hines who had five RBI's in the game. Sophomore pitcher Mariangee Bogado was able to take care of the rest as the Sycamores were only able to scratch together two more runs and struck out 12 times before falling in five innings. \nSophomore pitcher Megan Roark was on the mound for game two and was forced to carry the load early as IU fell behind 2-0 after four Hoosier errors. After the two runs scored by the Sycamores in the third inning, Roark proceeded to strike out at least two batters in each remaining inning while striking out the side in both the fifth and seventh innings. She ended the game with a total of 13 strikeouts. \n"My job is to just stay focused even in the toughest times, but I felt confidence that the defense would pull through," Roark said. "I tried to step it up on my part and just have confidence in the team that they would score runs and eventually make a play."\nScoring runs is exactly what the teams did after a slow start. The fourth inning was led off by a freshman catcher Tory Yamaguchi homerun which got the team rolling. After two Sycamore errors and doubles from senior infielder Val White and junior infielder Ashley Griffiths the Hoosiers found themselves on top 5-2.\n"They know that consistency is important and it's something that they are working on every day, but that's just where they are right now, they are a little bit inconsistent in their approach," Nottger said. "They also know that they have control and when they can find a way to turn it on you see what happened in the first game and you see what happened in that fourth inning."\nThe Hoosiers will host Western Kentucky, Notre Dame and St. Louis this weekend in the Hoosier Invitational. The first pitch will be at 11:45 a.m. Saturday. \n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.