IU softball seeks second straight victory

With a road victory against Michigan State lingering on its shoulders, the IU softball team will host Louisville at 4 p.m. today at the IU Softball Field for an out-of-conference matchup. \nAfter being shutout 26-0 the three games prior to Sunday’s win over Michigan State, the Hoosiers were in need of a spark. The Hoosiers found that spark on Sunday, winning a game no one expected them to capture, not even their opponent Michigan State.\nAfter scoreless droughts in Evanston, Ill., and game one in East Lansing, Mich., senior captain and infielder Tory Yamaguchi turned the tables in the second game versus the Spartans, as she blasted a game-winning double to right center field in the seventh inning. \n“We certainly weren’t happy with the outcomes in the first three games, but we battled to the very end in that fourth game,” said IU coach Stacey Phillips. “We just continue to fight out there game-by-game no matter what kind of a streak we are on.”\nToday’s contest will mark the second time these two teams have met. The first meeting between the two schools saw the Cardinals steal IU’s signature, using the come-from-behind method. After five dominant innings from Hoosiers’ freshman pitcher Sara Olson, Louisville piloted the plate, scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth inning. Its brigade led to an eventual 9-3 win on what was the second game at home for the Hoosiers. Senior third baseman Jennilee Huddleston said there’s a slim chance the previous result would reoccur. \n“Our last game with them (Louisville) was so far back, we’ve changed since,” said Huddleston, a captain on the squad. “We’ve improved in so many areas, there’s no doubt in my mind we can come out on top.”\nAnd these games aren’t foreign to the Hoosiers. In fact, today’s game labels the third time the Hoosiers will have competed against an out-of-conference foe in the midst of their Big Ten season. \n“We’re used to it,” said Phillips regarding her team’s inconsistent schedule. “These out-of-conference games in many ways help us sharpen our tools for Big Ten games down the road.” \nLouisville enters Bloomington after splitting a Big East doubleheader with No. 20 DePaul. The Cardinals nabbed game one from the Blue Demons snapping a three-game winless drought. Sophomore Melissa Roth ignited Lousville’s charge as she delivered her team-leading 18th double of the season. But game two favored the visitors as DePaul rallied behind their freshman starting pitcher Lindsey Dean, who recorded her seventh win of the season, only surrendering two hits. \n“It was great for us to get the win against Michigan State, and now we have to repeat against Louisville,” said junior infielder Emily Bergeson. “We have this mental toughness that makes us play harder regardless of other factors.”