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(04/14/11 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team improved its record to 24-15 (6-2) after sweeping a
doubleheader Wednesday against Ohio State. The Hoosiers outscored the
conference rival Buckeyes by a combined total of 12-2 in the two games,
winning the second game 9-0 in five innings due to the eight-run mercy
rule.
Senior pitcher Morgan Melloh once again was impressive in the circle,
allowing only two earned runs and six hits in 12 innings while striking
out 22 Buckeye batters.
The Hoosiers have won 12 of their last 15 games and improved to 9-1 at home.
The Hoosiers’ recent success can be attributed to important
contributions from many different players, something that pleases coach
Michelle Gardner.
“Everybody is coming along,” Gardner said. “It’s not just one person now
trying to do everything. It’s not just Sara (Olson) and it’s not just
Breanna (Saucedo) trying to do everything, (Amanda) Wagner has kicked
into gear, Cassie Gogreve hit the crap out of the ball today.”
Wagner, a sophomore, has been hot lately with two home runs against Ohio
State after having the game-winning hit against Penn State on Sunday.
For Wagner, her recent success has been on keeping things simple at the plate.
“I’ve just focused on relaxing and having all the confidence in myself
and my team,” Wagner said. “That has played the biggest difference
between now and the beginning of the season.”
IU will welcome in-state opponent Indiana State to Bloomington at 3 p.m. today.
(04/13/11 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team welcomes Ohio State to Bloomington today for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.The Hoosiers (22-15, 4-2) will look to continue their best start in conference play since 1997. The Buckeyes (10-23, 2-4), however, are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and are eighth in the Big Ten.IU coach Michelle Gardner said she feels the team is in a good place right now but still needs to increase run production as the conference schedule heats up.The Hoosiers are second in the Big Ten in pitching but 10th for team offense, batting a .251 cumulative average.“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully find a way to score another run or score earlier,” Gardner said.The Hoosiers have won 10 of their last 13 games, exceeding last year’s win total by 10 games with 16 contests left in the season.They currently sit in third place in the Big Ten behind Michigan and Illinois.Despite the turnaround this year, sophomore Amanda Wagner said the Hoosiers have big goals down the line for this team.“Our goal at the end of the season is to be the Big Ten champion, go to the regionals and eventually the World Series,” Wagner said.
(04/11/11 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team improved to 22-15 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten over the weekend after sweeping a two-game series with Penn State. The Hoosiers did not allow a single Nittany Lion to score in 15 innings thanks to timely hitting and a strong dose of Morgan Melloh.In game one on Saturday, neither team scored into the eighth inning, before the Hoosiers exploded with three runs after Samantha Heyman, Breanna Saucedo and Sara Olson all provided RBI singles.Game two entered the seventh inning in a scoreless tie before Amanda Wagner put the Hoosiers ahead for good with a pinch hit RBI, breaking an 0-12 slump for the sophomore. Wagner said that as she stepped to the plate she had one objective-put the ball in play.“I just really wanted to put the ball in play and make their defense work, because as long as I could put the ball in play something good could happen,” Wagner said.Melloh continued her dominance in the circle as she improved to 18-14 on the season after allowing only three hits and striking out 19 over 15 scoreless innings on the weekend. She became only the second IU pitcher to ever strike out 300 in a season and the first since Amy Unterbrink in 1986. IU coach Michelle Gardner said she continues to be impressed by her senior pitcher.“She has done every single thing that we have asked her to do and she just finds a way to get it done and she has a ton of strikeouts,” Gardner said.
(04/08/11 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will visit conference rival Penn State University this weekend for a brief two-game series. IU will look to improve on its .500 (2-2) conference record after winning its last Big Ten game, an upset against third-ranked Michigan.The Hoosiers have won eight of their last 11 games and were led by senior pitcher Morgan Melloh. Melloh has posted a record of 16-14 with a 2.09 ERA while striking out 284 batters in 188 innings. While Melloh has been dominant, the Hoosiers as a team have posted a 1.98 ERA.The Hoosiers will once again be led at the plate by senior first baseman Sara Olson. She has been on a tear lately after hitting two home runs and knocking in all five runs in the upset against Michigan last Saturday and leading the Hoosiers in hitting, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.This week: The IU softball team will visit conference rival Penn State University this weekend for a brief two-game series.Last week: IU upset third-ranked Michigan 5-4 in eight innings Saturday, then lost 1-0 to Louisville on Wednesday.Look ahead: The Hoosiers begin a six-game home stand with a doubleheader against Ohio State on Wednesday.
(04/07/11 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team lost a heartbreaker 1-0 to the University of Louisville (27-10) on Wednesday to drop its record to 20-15 (2-2).The Hoosiers were unable to get anything going offensively with only four hits against Cardinals pitcher Caralisa Connell. The loss was the Hoosiers’ third in their last 11 contests.In the bottom of the seventh, Cardinals left fielder Jennifer Esteban was able to get on base off an IU error. A wild pitch allowed her to advance to third and ultimately score the game-winning run on a single from Louisville second baseman Katie Keller.IU senior pitcher Morgan Melloh gave up six hits and an earned run in 6.1 innings, while striking out six Cardinal batters and walking four.The Hoosiers will continue Big Ten play Saturday when they travel to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions. After visiting Penn State for a pair of games this weekend, IU will open a six-game home stand against Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Ohio State, as well as in-state foes Ball State and Indiana State. — Dennis Glade
(04/06/11 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will travel to Louisville, Ky., today to take on the Cardinals in a non-conference matchup. The Hoosiers will look to maintain the momentum from the weekend after upsetting No. 3 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. At 20-14 (2-2 in Big Ten play), the Hoosiers have won eight of their last 10 games.“I definitely think we need to keep the confidence up and continue to go out knowing we can beat anybody,” Olson said. “And keep working together as a team, keeping our heads up, looking for the next game and taking it one game at a time.”The Hoosiers have already won eight more games than all of last season. IU coach Michelle Gardner said she believes the key to her team’s continuing its success is being aggressive at the plate and forcing the defense to react.“We have to come out putting the ball in play and that was the biggest difference for us,” she said. “That we just kept putting the ball in play and going at them.”
(04/04/11 1:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team was looking for its signature win of the season. They got it Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Hoosiers split a doubleheader against No. 3 Michigan, earning their first win against a ranked team this season and their first against the Wolverines since 1996 to improve their record to 20-14 (2-2).After losing the first game 2-1, the Hoosiers won the second game 5-4 behind two home runs and five RBI from senior Sara Olson. Olson said this was a huge win for the team’s confidence.“We have confidence in ourselves to begin with but with a win over a team like this is absolutely outstanding,” Olson said. “It’s so exciting for our program, our team and just for the future.”Olson said while this win is one that won’t soon be forgotten, they have bigger goals yet to accomplish.“Our work has definitely paid off but we still have a lot of work to do and we still have a lot of season left to play and we can’t stop here,” Olson said.Saturday’s win against the Wolverines was the first in eight tries against ranked opponents this season. Coach Michelle Gardner said the win was a huge confidence booster and something that will help the Hoosiers be successful down the road.“Anytime you can beat a team that is ranked that high, it definitely gives them a little confidence to feel like they can beat any team in the country,” Gardner said. “I just think it’s a huge win. “Quite frankly we could have won both games but just to finally get a big, top-25 win is enormous.”Senior pitcher Morgan Melloh once again carried the Hoosiers on the mound, striking out 21 batters in the two games while only allowing three earned runs. Melloh said this win gives the team confidence against the nation’s elite and that this is a sign that the Hoosiers can play with anybody in the Big Ten.“We always have to think that we need to win and once we do that we’re on a path to the Big Ten Championship,” Melloh said.The Hoosiers had their mettle tested when the No. 3 Wolverines tied the score at four in the bottom of the seventh. But Gardner put the onus on the players to pull out the upset victory with a simple message.“You have to want it more than they do,” Gardner said. “We were going to out-battle them and that’s all there was.”The main objective with this emerging squad has been confidence, a theme Olson said was solidified by upsetting Michigan.“We go out there hard every inning and we know that we can do it no matter what, and that was definitely perseverance on our team’s half and just an outstanding win all around,” the senior first baseman said. “The team was working together and it was absolutely the most thrilling game that I have ever played.”
(04/01/11 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU softball coach Michelle Gardner looks out at her team practicing on a brisk Thursday afternoon in early spring. She sees a team that is making real progress after a tough first two years for Gardner in Bloomington.Since coming over from the University of Nevada in June 2008, Gardner’s Hoosiers compiled a 22-72 record in her first two years, but this year the team has made great strides with a 19-13 record. The team will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to Ann Arbor to take on No. 3 Michigan this weekend.Gardner said the major difference has been the strong pitching, in particular that of senior Morgan Melloh.“We’re still building in some areas, but with the addition of Morgan Melloh, she keeps us in a lot of ball games and gives us an opportunity to win any ball game we play,” Gardner said.A Fishers, Ind., native, Melloh attended Fresno State University her first three years but transferred to IU in the offseason to play closer to home. The move has paid dividends for the Hoosiers. In the 2010 season, the Hoosiers’ pitching staff compiled a 12-36 record with a 4.59 ERA. With Melloh taking the brunt of the work this season, the team has dropped its ERA to a miniscule 2.07. Despite all the success that Melloh had at Fresno State, the former All-American said she didn’t feel any extra pressure coming home to pitch.“I don’t see any pressure. I just come out and play and have fun, and I think that’s what everybody does on this team. They don’t focus on the statistics and what they did last year. They are focusing on this year,” Melloh said.While the pitching has been a big reason for the turnaround this season, the hitting has been much improved for the Hoosiers. IU has a team batting average of .258, 20 points higher than a year ago. The Hoosiers have eight players with at least a .250 average compared to three last year. Sophomore Breanna Saucedo said the improvement comes from the team having more confidence.“The biggest difference is the way we approach our game,” Saucedo said. “I think we all have more confidence at the plate and on the field.” As Melloh has come in and become the primary starting pitcher for the Hoosiers, senior Sara Olson switched to the everyday first baseman to make way for the All-American, despite leading the team in wins last season. For some players this may have been a rocky transition, but Olson said she had no problem allowing Melloh to take over most of the pitching duties.“Morgan is an amazing pitcher, and she is a All-American for a reason,” Olson said. “Anything that was going to help the team and the program is exactly what I wanted to do.”Whether it has been Melloh’s success or a renewed approach at the plate, the Hoosiers are in the driver’s seat as they delve into Big Ten play. “I do feel that a lot of pressure is on her (Melloh), but I think she handles it very well and I think she trusts her defense as well,” Saucedo said. “I think having trust between all the players is definitely key.”
(03/30/11 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will finish up its 11-game home stand with a nonconference duel against Indiana State University today in Bloomington before continuing Big Ten play in Michigan this weekend. The Hoosiers are 7-1 at home with two games having been rained out. The Sycamores enter Wednesday’s contest with a record of 9-14 and a seven-game losing streak.The Hoosiers have won seven of their last 10 games, and IU coach Michelle Gardner stressed the importance of the team staying consistent against the Sycamores.“We need to come back out with the same attitude and swagger that we had today,” Gardner said.Senior Morgan Melloh will likely be in the circle Wednesday as the starting pitcher for the 26th time this season. Melloh has racked up 257 strikeouts in 167 innings thus far.Senior Sara Olson said Wednesday’s game is very important with a visit to No. 3 Michigan on the horizon this weekend.“We need to keep believing in ourselves and knowing that this is a really special team and that we are all really apart of something bigger than ourselves and just go from here and keep working together,” Olson said.
(03/28/11 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team split a weekend two-game series with Minnesota to
open the Big Ten season and improve to 19-13 on the season.
Senior pitcher Morgan Melloh continued to lead the Hoosiers on the
mound, striking out 24 Badgers in 14 innings in the two contests. The
Hoosiers improved to 7-1 at home this season and will welcome Indiana
State to Bloomington on Wednesday before continuing Big Ten play this
weekend in Michigan.
IU coach Michelle Gardner said the victory was a huge momentum boost
after Saturday’s 2-0 shutout defeat in which the Hoosiers struck out 15
times and only managed three hits against Badgers pitcher Sara Moulton.
“We got beat yesterday on one pitch, which cost us two runs, but the
bottom line was we just kept competing and doing the things we had to do
and we made adjustments at the plate today that we didn’t make
yesterday,” Gardner said.
For the second consecutive day the Hoosiers fell behind 2-0 after the
top of the first. This time, they countered with two runs of their own
with back-to-back RBI hits from seniors Sara Olson and Morgan Melloh.
Olson said Sunday’s victory was important not only going forward but
also to prevent falling to 0-2 in the Big Ten.
“There’s a lot of momentum going into Michigan next weekend, and it’s
exciting that we know we can win. We know that we can come out and beat
these teams, and that’s what we did today,” Olson said.
(03/25/11 3:25am)
The IU softball team will welcome the University of Minnesota this weekend for a two-game series to kick off the Big Ten schedule.
(03/23/11 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team swept a double header Tuesday from Butler University at the IU Softball Field behind 31 strikeouts from senior pitcher Morgan Melloh. While Melloh held the Bulldogs to two earned runs, the Hoosiers needed some late-inning heroics to keep their winning streak alive. They got exactly that from freshman Meaghan Murphy, who hit a two-run walk-off home run to notch the 4-2 win.The Hoosiers’ victory snapped a seven-game win streak for the visiting Bulldogs. This left IU with a six-game winning streak, its longest win streak since winning nine in a row in 2007. IU coach Michelle Gardner said the recent win streak includes multiple factors but most of all, the team is gaining confidence.“We’re not staying in a hotel room, we’re growing as a team, we’re finding a way to win a game even when we give away a couple of runs. I think we found a way when our shortstop went to down to keep playing and not fall apart,” Gardner said. “I think there are a lot of things playing into it, and I think a big part of it is they are starting to believe they can win.”Melloh won all six games on the Hoosiers homestand, striking out 67 batters in only 39 innings, including five double-digit strikeout performances. Melloh said the team is hitting its stride at the right time and playing at home in front of its home crowd has been a big factor in that.“We have a lot of parents that it’s not a far drive for them. My parents it’s only an hour and 30 minutes away and we have kids from Illinois and I don’t see a big difference but we have been doing well all around,” Melloh said.
(03/22/11 3:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will look to continue its season high four-game winning streak at home when it takes on Butler University in a doubleheader Tuesday. The game is part of the Hoosier Classic at the IU Softball Field.With a record of 16-12, the Hoosiers matched their highest win total since the 2008 season when they finished 16-35. The four-game winning streak coincided with the Hoosiers’ first four home games of the season. They took advantage of that with a stellar 0.78 ERA with all four victories coming from senior Morgan Melloh. The Hoosiers have relied on the arm of Melloh this year, who has started 21 of the team’s 28 games while posting a 2.72 ERA. In addition to getting consistency on the mound, there are also three Hoosiers that are hitting above .300 this season. Senior Sara Olson has provided the power in the middle of the IU lineup, leading the team with five home runs and 20 RBI while hitting .321. While they have gotten timely hitting out of seniors like Olson, the Hoosiers have also benefited from the emergence of underclassmen like freshman Ashley Warrum. The Pendleton, Ind., native is currently leading the Hoosiers with a .360 average. Sophomore shortstop Breanna Saucedo is hitting .340 and has also stolen 10 bases this season.IU is four games over .500 for the first time since March 2007 with the beginning of the Big Ten season on the horizon.The Hoosiers will play a pair of home games against Minnesota on March 26 and 27 to open the conference season.
(03/21/11 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team got off to a strong start in its first home games of the year in the Hoosier Classic. The Hoosiers started 4-0 at home with wins against Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Loyola and Wright State, improving to 15-12 on the season. This comes after IU fell back to .500 when it lost four of six games in the Oklahoma Spring Festival. IU coach Michelle Gardner said it was important to get off to a good start at home.“I thought we really played well this weekend, which was great to see, especially in front of our fans in our first home games,” Gardner said. “Morgan (Melloh)was tremendous in the circle, only allowing four hits over our first three games, and our bats were able to get enough hits to put runs on the board and allow us to get the wins.”All three wins in the Hoosier Classic were shutouts by senior pitcher Morgan Melloh, who improved to 11-11. Melloh allowed four hits in the 20 innings she pitched. Gardner said she was impressed by the total team effort made by the Hoosiers.“The first three games truly were team wins,” Gardner said. “The defense behind Morgan was strong, and that allowed her to be confident in the circle and really attack the hitters. And offensively, it was a different player stepping up in different situations to help the team, so that was great to see.”
(03/11/11 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to Norman, Okla., to play in the Oklahoma Spring Festival. The Hoosiers will open the tournament Saturday with games against Missouri State and host school, No. 10 Oklahoma. The Hoosiers’ strong pitching has been one of the biggest reasons behind their 10-8 start to the season, and sophomore pitcher Jessica Dobson said she thought that senior Morgan Melloh has been the biggest reason for the outstanding pitching. “I think Morgan is doing a great job jumping ahead of the batters,” Dobson said. “If you look at it, she has two strikes on all batters, which definitely puts them back on their heels.”Freshman Ashley Warrum said the Hoosiers need to get better at getting hits at the right time.“Everybody is doing a good job getting hits, it’s just when we get the hits,” Warrum said. “We just need to really focus on getting the hits when people are on base.”— Dennis Glade
(03/07/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team improved to 10-8 after winning two of the three games at the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga. The Hoosiers defeated the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and James Madison University but fell short against No. 1 Georgia. Weather was a factor, as the Hoosiers had a game against Campbell University and a rematch with No. 1 Georgia canceled Saturday due to rain.Once again, the Hoosiers fell short against a top-ranked team, but junior Lindsay Callanan said she feels the team is right where it needs to be.“I think we could have done a little better against Georgia, but it’s going to come eventually,” Callanan said. “We did a lot better at adjusting this weekend in our at-bats, and I think if we would have played Georgia again we would have beat them for sure.”One of the strongest and most consistent aspects of the Hoosiers this year has been pitching, which continued in Georgia, as they only gave up three runs in three games. Senior pitcher Morgan Melloh said the key to the strong pitching has been positivity.“Just staying strong and if you get down and you have to pick yourself back up and talk to your team, you can’t let yourself get down on a call or a hit,” Melloh said. “That’s key, is to stay strong and trust your defense behind you.” — Dennis Gladedmglade@indiana.edu
(03/04/11 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will play in the Bulldog Invitational starting Friday in Athens, Ga. The Hoosiers will look to build on their 8-7 start to the season as they face No. 1 Georgia on two consecutive days, as well as Chattanooga, Campbell and James Madison. IU coach Michelle Gardner said it is important for the team to stay focused and not overlook any teams with Georgia on the horizon.“At this point in our schedule we can’t overlook anyone,” Gardner said. “So we put a big emphasis on Georgia, obviously, because they are the number one team in the country, but it’s real important that we come out against Chattanooga, Campbell and James Madison as if they were Georgia.“At this point in the game that needs to be our main focus.”A sore spot for the Hoosiers thus far has been a difficulty in winning the close games. Junior Samantha Berenter said the team needs to focus on what is ahead of them and not worry about the close defeats.“I think there is still a little hesitance because of the past seasons we haven’t done so well, and so now it’s just really pushing and believing and seeing what we are capable of putting it through,” Berenter said.
(02/28/11 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team improved to 8-7 after going 3-2 during the weekend in the Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.The Hoosiers defeated Loyola Marymount, Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State while losing to No. 4 Florida and No. 14 California. The Hoosiers have failed to beat a ranked team in four opportunities this year, but freshman Ashley Warrum said they need to just continue doing what they have been doing.“Just keep pushing. We are hitting the ball, it’s just that we need a few breaks here and there, and we just really need to support our pitching staff because they are just doing an awesome job,” Warrum said.Despite getting outscored by a 15-12 margin, the Hoosiers finished with a winning record for the second consecutive weekend. Warrum said it is important to continue that trend to show that they are just as good as the teams they are competing against.“It’s really important because we should be beating these teams. It’s no longer just competing with them,” Warrum said. “We are going in with a mindset to win.”The Hoosiers’ current 8-7 record is their best 15-game start since 1997, when they opened the season 10-5.“We really have to do something with this team and take advantage of the talent we have and take advantage of this year and every single game,” junior Cassie Gogreve said.
(02/24/11 5:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will travel to Palm Springs, Calif., to play in the Cathedral City Classic today. The Hoosiers will look to continue their winning ways after a 3-2 weekend in the USF Tournament in Florida, in which they outscored their opponents for the second straight weekend.While the Hoosiers have outscored their opponents by a combined 10 runs this season, sophomore Amanda Wagner said she feels the team can still be more consistent.“We are producing the runs, we just need to produce them more when we absolutely need to get them,” Wagner said. “Offensively our consistency is what we need to work on.”IU coach Michelle Gardner said the team has been productive thus far, but the Hoosiers need to continue to set the tone.“I just want to go out and really be productive early,” Gardner said. “I think that is going to be a key for us and no matter what happens with us we need to keep battling at the plate.”With No. 4 Florida and No. 14 California coming up this weekend, Gardner said the team needs to focus on when it has opportunities with runners in scoring position.“When we have runners in scoring position, obviously we want to be driving the ball to the right side of the infield or right side of the field with runners at second and third but really just being able to situational hit,” Gardner said. “With less than two outs a flyball scores me a run, so I think it is executing and knowing what your job is at the plate.”
(02/21/11 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team finished the USF Tournament with a record of 3-2 giving it a 5-5 record on the season. The Hoosiers defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ole Miss and South Florida, but lost to DePaul and Fordham. For the second consecutive weekend the Hoosiers outscored their opponents, this time by a count of 23-15. Freshman Meaghan Murphy said she saw the Hoosiers’ success at the plate as a team effort.“We’re just building off of each other’s success, getting hits when runners are on and seeing the ball and hitting it down,” Murphy said.As the Hoosiers have continued to score runs, sophomore Breanna Saucedo has been the catalyst in the leadoff spot. Saucedo leads the team in hits, on-base percentage and stolen bases. Saucedo said her focus thus far has been to stay patient.“I think staying relaxed kind of helps me,” Saucedo said. “I feel like we’re kind of under a lot of pressure, but I think keeping your composure up at the plate definitely helps.”For the second straight weekend, the Hoosiers went into the final game with a chance to finish with a winning record. This time, they were successful. “We have definitely improved, and I think everybody notices it, so I think we are all really excited, and we’re going to keep working hard to keep going forward,” Saucedo said.