Roark throws 26 innings, strikes out 30 on weekend

Coming off a 1-3 record in Tulsa last weekend, the IU softball team traveled south to Bowling Green for the Western Kentucky Invitational.\nThe Hoosiers started off strong Friday morning against Buffalo, winning 4-0. Junior Megan Roark (4-6) continued her strong pitching of late, throwing seven shutout innings while tying a career-high with 13 strikeouts.\nAfter scoring a run each in the first and second inning, IU tallied two more runs in the third.\n"It helped team morale to score early," sophomore catcher Tory Yamaguchi said. "Then we're just able to play the game."\nOn the weekend, Yamaguchi had three home runs, eight hits and eight runs batted in.\nIn the second game of the doubleheader, IU could not continue its offensive attack, losing to host team Western Kentucky 3-1.\nThe Hoosiers got on the board first when Yamaguchi hit an RBI double in the bottom half of the first inning. IU would only muster two hits the rest of the game.\nWestern Kentucky tied the game in the second and went ahead in the fourth inning with two solo home runs.\nRoark threw 5 1/3 solid innings of relief but was saddled with the loss. She struck out six more batters, bringing her total to 19 for the day.\nIU bounced back quickly Saturday morning against Austin Peay winning 8-3. In the second inning after two Peay errors loaded the bases, junior right fielder Lauren Hines hit her second career grand slam, giving the Hoosiers a 4-0 lead.\nSenior Katie Witham (2-3) earned the win, giving up one unearned run in seven innings of work.\nThe Hoosiers struggled with consistency Saturday afternoon as they lost to Tennessee-Martin 2-1. Neither team scored until the fifth inning, when Tennessee-Martin hit two solo home runs.\nSophomore Kim Richards continued her hot hitting of late, driving in the only Hoosier run in the bottom of the fifth. IU had runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings but could not capitalize, giving the Skyhawks the win.\nIn bracket play Sunday, the Hoosiers could not get on track against Tennessee-Martin. IU fell behind early before scoring two runs in the sixth. They would not score again, losing 4-3.\nFor the weekend, Roark threw a combined 25 2/3 innings, allowed only eight runs and striking out 30 batters.\n"Megan is our nucleus," IU coach Stacey Phillips said. "She is our rock because she knows that she's going to throw a lot of innings and keep us in games."\nIU will travel to California this weekend for the Long Beach Tournament. The team hopes to continue to improve as the conference season draws near.\n"It's a building process," said sophomore third baseman Rachel Terry.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Tim O'Brien at tpobrien@indiana.edu.