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(02/12/10 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In IU coach Michelle Gardner’s first season, the softball team went 10-39. But this season looks to be an improvement with the addition of a youthful lineup.This weekend begins IU softball’s 37th season as a varsity sport.“Everyone is looking good, so I think this year should be much improved from last year,” senior infielder Kristin King said.Gardner and junior pitcher Sara Olsen want to rebuild the team both in the Big Ten conference and nationally.“We do have a lot of freshman in our program and a lot of young leaders, which is good for a team,” Olson said.Though 10 freshmen were added to the roster, there is still experience with five seniors, five juniors and three sophomores.“I’m a senior so I try to be a leader on and off the field for my team,” King said.The Hoosiers haven’t had a season over .500 percent since 2005.However, IU’s best pitcher Olson returns this year after making third-team All-Big Ten last year.Olson threw a no-hitter last year against Ohio State on April 8.Talented senior outfielder Jennifer Glueckert returns as one of the top Hoosier hitters with a .256 batting average and four triples last season.“This weekend will give us the experience of being out there on the dirt,” Gardner said.Softball’s first matchup comes in the K-Club Classic. IU will play four games against four different opponents, something King said will be challenging.IU starts the season with Jacksonville State on Saturday, a team who went 43-16 last year and made it to the NCAA tournament. Two-and-a-half hours later, the Hoosiers will play against South Dakota State, a much easier team with last year’s record of 10-41.“These next few days will be a building block for the team’s future,” Gardner said.On Sunday the Hoosiers will have two games starting with Wright State at 10 a.m. and Kennesaw State at 12:30 p.m.“I think it’s an honor to step on that mound, be given a ball and wear the uniform,” said Olson. “I’m very excited to get to do that every day.”
(09/11/09 3:55pm)
Hello, and welcome to Hoosier Hype!
(05/10/09 11:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU would not succumb on its senior day without giving rival Purdue a hard fight, and it did so twice in a season-ending doubleheader Saturday.The Boilermakers (29-18, 12-8) won the first contest 2-1 in eight innings and claimed the second game 8-7 in another eight-inning battle. Purdue now awaits its NCAA tournament fate as the Hoosiers (10-39, 4-16) bid farewell to six seniors and remain encouraged about their performance.“We played hard,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said. “We’ve played hard all season long. We just couldn’t get the big thing to happen for us when we needed it to and they did. That’s been our story all season.”The first game was largely a defensive struggle, with five straight scoreless innings for both teams. Purdue was the first on the scoreboard as third baseman Candace Curtis’ double into center field brought in baserunner Molly Garst in the top of the sixth.IU avoided the loss in regulation in the bottom of the seventh when catcher Brittany Stein led off with a solo home run, her fifth of the season and first since a March 1 contest against Cal Poly, to tie the game at one run apiece and force extra frames.The Boilermakers responded in the top of the eighth with Curtis’ second RBI of the game.Curtis hit a single to bring in shortstop Liane Horiuchi, who got on base with a walk in what many fans considered a questionable call by the umpire. The Hoosiers could not respond in the latter half of the inning, giving the first game to Purdue and handing IU pitcher Sara Olson her 14th loss of the season.Senior members of both teams were recognized on the field in between the games, with Emily Bergeson, Monica Wright, Ashley Hobbs, Sarah Padove, Julie DiNallo and Stephanie Pellerito all making their final appearances for the Hoosiers.The second contest got off to a much quicker start than the first, with Curtis batting in two runs in the top of the first and scoring on an IU error to put Purdue up 3-0 early. IU was able to load the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out, but two straight pop fly catches in the infield left the runners stranded.Curtis batted in two more Purdue runs in the top of the second to put the lead at 5-0. IU was able to score two runs in the bottom of the inning as center fielder Kelsey Stander hit a double to cut Purdue’s lead to three runs.Purdue took control in the fourth and fifth innings, posting two one-run innings to move up 7-2. IU cut the lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth as Olson hit a two-run home run.The Hoosiers were able to hold the Boilermakers in the sixth and then tied the game at seven with a two-run homer by senior shortstop Emily Bergeson, her seventh of the season and the 16th of her career, and an RBI single by designated hitter Jennifer Glueckert.Neither team was able to score in the seventh, and the game went to an eighth inning just as the previous contest had done. Curtis scored the game-winning run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly, and IU could not retaliate in the bottom of the inning, giving Purdue its second straight victory, 8-7.Gardner attributed IU’s three errors to the outcome of the second game.“We had enough hits,” she said. “We should win with (14) hits. You just can’t win with that many errors.”Still, Gardner is optimistic about the future of the program.“We played a tough schedule,” she said. “We’re going to get some athletes in here. I’m ready (for next season).”Bergeson shared Gardner’s enthusiasm.“I wish I would have had (Gardner) as my coach for all three years I was here,” Bergeson said. “She’ll get us to where other teams say, ‘It’s IU,’ instead of, ‘It’s just IU.’”
(05/04/09 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (10-37, 4-14) split the weekend’s doubleheader at Penn State (19-25, 7-11).Capitalizing on Penn State errors in the first game led the Hoosiers to a 4-3 victory. Of the Hoosiers’ four runs, three of them were unearned.Junior outfielder Jennifer Glueckert went 2-for-4, driving in three runs. Glueckert responded well after IU coach Michelle Gardner inserted her into the No. 3 spot in the lineup.The Hoosiers got three runs in the third, which was just enough to hold off a late Penn State run.Sophomore pitcher Sara Olson delivered another complete game, allowing three runs and striking out three. The win improves Olson’s record to 7-13.The second game was a pitcher’s duel that seemed like it would have a low-scoring result. Instead of the Hoosiers getting a chance to even the score at 2-2 in the seventh, Penn State would increase its lead. Penn State’s offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, 9-1.Penn State’s 15 hits in the game all came off of senior pitcher Ashley Hobbs. Hobbs was the Hoosiers’ main source of offense, recording her first career two-hit day.Next weekend, the Hoosiers will travel to Purdue to finish off the year.
(05/01/09 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off a doubleheader loss at Michigan on Wednesday, the Hoosiers will try to rebound at Penn State this weekend.With the season winding down, the Hoosiers are not in the running for a Big Ten title, nor to finish in the top half of the Big Ten. While players have stayed positive throughout the year, they are still aware of their situation.“We don’t want to be the last team in the Big Ten,” said freshman outfielder Heather Nelson.Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Penn State is in a similar situation. They have struggled to find consistency throughout the year and suffered from an injury to sophomore pitcher Jackie Hill.Hill has been the only successful starting pitcher for Penn State, with a record of 13-9 and a 1.10 ERA.While Hill has been consistent while healthy, she might seem like a step down to Hoosier hitters after facing Michigan’s Nikki Nemitz and Jordan Taylor.“We still have to look at each team as tough,” Nelson said, noting Michigan and Penn State.The Hoosiers have been able to compete in close games with almost every team in the Big Ten, but have still failed to get a win against a conference team with a better record. This weekend might be the best opportunity for the Hoosiers to change that trend.
(04/29/09 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wednesday night will show whether or not the Hoosiers are a different team since Michigan no-hit the team back in February.On paper, Wednesday night’s doubleheader at Michigan (34-9, 10-2) is about as lopsided as it can get for the Hoosiers (9-34, 3-11). Michigan comes into the contest as winner of its past 14 games and with a No. 9 ranking.The only conference losses Michigan has suffered this season came when it played Northwestern. Both games shared a one-run difference in scoring. Shutting out four of their last six opponents, Michigan pitchers are on top of their game right now, which could spell trouble for a banged-up Hoosier team. Junior Nikki Nemitz and sophomore Jordan Taylor have been giving opposing hitters fits all year.Nemitz recently notched her 20th win of the season and boasts a 0.74 ERA. Nemitz could have an even higher win total, but Taylor’s dominance has proven she is worthy of getting starts as well.Keeping Michigan’s offense in check will be the key factor in both games. This season, the Hoosiers are 2-28 when they allow more than three runs in a game.With that being said, teams do not win games on paper. Michigan might have the Hoosiers in every hitting and pitching category, but there are some things in the Hoosiers’ favor.Michigan can very easily look past the Hoosiers with critical Big Ten games against Iowa and Ohio State next on the schedule. The Hoosiers also seem ready to play with a nothing-to-lose mentality, which means coach Michelle Gardner will not be afraid to take some risks against the Big Ten foe.Another aspect that plays into the Hoosiers’ favor is their experience against Top 10 teams. The Hoosiers have played seven teams so far this year ranked in the top 25, including Michigan. Gardner has repeatedly stressed the importance of playing elite teams to get ready for the best of the Big Ten.
(04/27/09 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, Iowa was a force that could not be stopped. The Hawkeyes took down the Hoosiers on Saturday and Sunday, 12-0 and 12-1, both in five innings.“I think that Iowa was very, very hot this weekend,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said. “They hit everything that we threw at them.”The Hawkeyes were up 1-0 until they busted the game open with an 11-run fifth inning.In the second game, the Hawkeyes wasted little time getting the offense rolling, leading the Hoosiers 8-0 after three innings. Iowa senior Colleen McGlaughlin gave the Hawkeyes a 12-1 win in five innings.“There’s a difference between giving up and getting beat,” Gardner said. “We just got beat today.”Gardner said while the scoreboard shows a blowout, there was nothing that they could have done to stop Iowa. “There are six kids on (Iowa) that could be Big Ten Player of the Week this week,” Gardner said.While Iowa put up runs on both days, Gardner said it was not from a lack of effort by the Hoosiers.“We have played respectable against top-25 teams all year, and we’ve lost, but not because we weren’t playing,” Gardner said. “We have played tough competition all year, and we haven’t been embarrassed once.”
(04/24/09 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into this weekend’s series against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the IU softball team is coming off of a doubleheader win against Ball State.“Going into any game with a win helps,” senior shortstop Emily Bergeson said.Also on the Hoosiers’ side is the fact that they beat Iowa twice last year as the underdog. This year, the Hawkeyes are fourth in the Big Ten and are ranked No. 24 in the country.The Hawkeyes’ success can be attributed to their starting pitching. With a team ERA of 1.34, high-scoring games are not the norm for this team.Hurlers Brittany Weil and Amanda Zust are the only two Hawkeyes who have pitched this year. However, both have ERAs less than two and have shown no signs of fatigue.Just making contact will be crucial for the Hoosiers against Weil, who has struck out 269 hitters in her 189.2 innings of work. But if the Hoosiers can hit like they did in the second game of the Ball State doubleheader, anything can happen.Bergeson has been the catalyst for the Hoosier offense, going 7 for 9 with a home run and six RBI in her last three games. The senior has stepped up her production with the recent absence of sophomore catcher Brittany Stein.The Hoosiers will likely be pitching both senior Ashley Hobbs and sophomore Sara Olson in the weekend set.– By Connor O’Gara
(04/23/09 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If the Ball State Cardinals were expecting the same Hoosier team they beat in the middle of March, they were clearly mistaken.The Hoosiers took care of Ball State in both games of a doubleheader Wednesday, winning by scores of 2-1 and 8-0 at the IU Softball Field.Ball State beat IU 4-1 in March.“Collectively, that was definitely one of our best games,” senior shortstop Emily Bergeson said after the second game.Bergeson provided the Hoosiers with their only hits in the first game (2-for-3) and scored the game-winning run in the fifth inning. Bergeson’s offensive efforts were more than enough for sophomore pitcher Sarah Olson.Olson pitched a complete game, allowing one run on three hits. The win improves Olson’s record to 6-10 with a 2.92 ERA.The second game featured another dominant Hoosier pitching performance, this time from Ashley Hobbs. The senior hurler shut out Ball State in her five innings, allowing just one hit.The main difference in the second game was the Hoosier bats. The team exploded for eight runs on 11 hits as they won in a rout.“It helps when you get on top early,” Bergeson said. “It also helps when you have good offense, defense and pitching.”Bergeson credits the contagious hitting to the Hoosiers’ blowout win in the second game.“We had 11 hits, and we got them from everybody,” Bergeson said.
(04/22/09 1:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers will be seeing a familiar Ball State team at 3 and 5 p.m. today in a doubleheader at home. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, Ball State is playing much better than it was during their last matchup March 14.Ball State comes into today’s contest having won 10 of its last 12 and is atop the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.The Hoosiers come in on the other side of the wins column, having lost nine of their last 11. They averaged about two runs a game in that streak.In hopes of re-energizing her team, IU coach Michelle Gardner said she planned to rest her players after Saturday’s two losses to Tulsa.Among the hurt players is sophomore catcher Brittany Stein. The Hoosier cleanup hitter sat out Saturday with back problems but figures to be back in the lineup today.Stein and the Hoosiers will need to improve their offensive output from the last time the two teams faced off. On March 14, Ball State junior pitcher Elizabeth Milian held the Hoosiers to one unearned run on four hits in the Cardinals’ 4-1 win.
(04/20/09 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU couldn’t defeat Tulsa (28-14, 10-4) on Saturday, dropping both games of a doubleheader.In their first contest, the Hoosiers (7-32, 3-9) ran into shutdown starting pitching from Tulsa junior Jackie Lawrence. She rendered the Hoosiers scoreless on three hits and recorded 10 strikeouts on the day in a 3-0 IU loss to the Hurricanes (28-14, 10-4).Senior Ashley Hobbs was able to limit Tulsa as well, allowing three runs in her complete game for the Hoosiers. But IU struggled to provide her the run support needed for a win.The second game involved a lot more offense but had the same result as the first.Tulsa led by as many as three runs on three different occasions in the game. The Hoosiers got within one run twice but did not have enough left for a rally as they fell, 7-5. IU coach Michelle Gardner said she was happy with the finish.“I still felt really good about that second game,” Gardner said.Senior shortstop Emily Bergeson led the Hoosiers’ offensive attack, hitting 3-for-3 with a solo home run in the seventh inning.Gardner said her team cannot continue to fall behind teams to start the game.“We want to work to get ahead early, and we’ve been struggling to do that,” she said.
(04/17/09 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into this weekend’s doubleheader against Tulsa (26-14, 10-4), IU (7-30, 3-9) will attempt to shake off a couple of road losses at Illinois.After playing four games in four days on the road, the Hoosiers will get a break from conference play. However, they will not get a break from quality opponents.IU will face Tulsa at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the IU Softball Field. Tulsa comes into Saturday sitting near the top of the Conference USA standings as its second-winningest team. The Hoosiers are also likely to face junior pitcher Jackie Lawrence, who was the Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Week last week.The junior boasts an ERA of 1.65 in 106 innings of work on the year. Quality pitching is something the Hoosiers have run into all season.While Lawrence has been the leader of Tulsa’s team, there is no guarantee the Hoosiers will face her. The Golden Hurricanes have three pitchers who have started double-digit games this season.The Hoosiers have recently struggled to get clutch hitting out of the middle of their order with runners on base.Senior shortstop Emily Bergeson said IU will have to improve within the batter’s box – a discussion that has come up among teammates. “We agreed that we have to step up and at least put the ball in play when we got the bases loaded,” she said.
(04/16/09 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers were not able to continue their win streak at Illinois on Wednesday, losing both games in the doubleheader.In the first game, the Hoosiers were stifled by Illini freshman pitcher Monica Perry, who only let up one hit. The freshman was able to fan the Hoosiers eight times, en route to her 20th win of the season.Hoosier hitters feel like Perry was throwing similar to any other Big Ten pitcher.“I think we should have hit her harder,” senior Emily Bergeson said.In the second game, Perry was able to continue to limit the Hoosiers’ run production, only allowing two. While the Hoosiers were able to put up nine hits, the failed to capitalize on opportunities.“We had times where we were up with bases loaded and we just couldn’t put the ball in play,” Bergeson said.While the Hoosiers failed to move a lot of runners across the plate, they had the lead 2-0 until the Illini came back with back-to-back home runs to tie the game up. The Illini then loaded up the bases in the bottom of the seventh and were able to force a walk to end the game.“Today we just didn’t get the job done,” Bergeson said.
(04/15/09 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Ashley Hobbs and sophomore Sara Olson have combined for three straight gems from the mound for the Hoosiers (7-28, 3-7).With a double header at Illinois (22-12, 5-4) tonight, the pitching duo will look to make it five.Hobbs is coming off of her best outing of the year, where she fanned 15 at Michigan State to lead the Hoosiers to a 5-2 victory.After starting the season at 1-9, Hobbs said she believes she got what she had been missing all season in Sunday’s performance.“It was the first time I found my rise ball all season, so it was nice to find that again,” Hobbs said.Hobbs and Olson have two different styles on the mound, which could result in problems for Illinois similar to those Michigan State experienced last weekend.The Illini are led by their catalyst at the top of the order, sophomore second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz. She is hitting .444 on the year and is 18-for-18 in stolen base attempts.The one usually advancing Zymkowitz on the base path is sophomore outfielder Hollie Pinchback. Coming off a 5-for-5 game in the Illini’s 17-15 loss to Ohio State, Pinchback will also be dangerous when she faces IU.Hobbs said the IU pitchers will have less room for error in their clash with Illinois’ hitting.“(Against Michigan State) I could still miss spots but it wouldn’t hurt as bad,” Hobbs said. “Little misses against Illinois result in balls over the fence.”
(04/13/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (7-28, 3-7) couldn’t have asked for a better weekend at Michigan State (13-22, 0-9). Led by dominant starting pitching and clutch hitting, the Hoosiers knocked off the Spartans and gained their first Big Ten series win.The victory marked the first Big Ten road victory for the Hoosiers this season and the first Big Ten road sweep since 2005. They beat Michigan State 3-1 in game 1 and followed with a 5-2 game 2 win. In game 1 on Saturday, sophomore Sara Olson followed up her Wednesday no-hitter by pitching a complete game in which she gave up only one run en route to a 3-1 win for the Hoosiers. Olson’s record improved to 5-9 with an ERA of 2.98.Senior Emily Bergeson and sophomore Brittany Stein came through with RBI doubles to lead the Hoosiers past the host Spartans.Game 2 was very similar to the first.This time, senior Ashley Hobbs went the distance, allowing two earned runs and striking out 15. Hobbs’ strikeout mark was a tie for eighth on IU’s all-time list for strikeouts in a game.While Hobbs was able to stifle the Spartans, the Hoosiers still needed an extra frame for their 5-2 win.With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, junior Kristin King hit a line drive to the left center-field gap, bringing home two runs that put the Hoosiers ahead for good.“We used the momentum from (Saturday) in (Sunday’s) game, and we’re going to use it the rest of the way in the Big Ten, starting with Illinois on Wednesday,” King said.
(04/10/09 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU (5-28, 1-7) will head to East Lansing, Mich., this weekend to face
Michigan State (13-18, 0-5). But the stage for this game will be a
little different from the usual.The Big Ten Network will televise the games at noon Saturday and Sunday.
“There’s more hype around a game like this, but as a team, it’s just another game,” sophomore catcher Brittany Stein said.
After sophomore pitcher Sara Olson pitched a no-hitter against Ohio
State in the Hoosiers’ 1-0 loss, the Hoosiers will look to jump on the
Spartans’ shaky pitching.
Michigan State enters Saturday’s game with a team ERA of 5.05. While
the Spartans give up a lot of runs, they can also put them up. With a
team batting average of .290, the Spartans have had no problem getting
runners on base.
This task figures to be a difficult one for the Spartans, if Olson can
ride the momentum of her no-hitter into this weekend’s action.
“To know that we can compete with the best teams helps out our confidence for the rest of the way,” Stein said.
(04/09/09 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore pitcher Sara Olson put her name in the IU record books Wednesday afternoon, recording the first no-hitter in almost three years. However, the Hoosiers (5-28, 1-7) still lost to the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (30-6, 7-1) 1-0.“You can throw the best game of your career and still lose,” Olson said.The sophomore set a season-high of nine strikeouts and stifled the Buckeyes the entire game. Perhaps a more remarkable aspect about the no-hitter was that it came after Olson let up seven earned runs in two-thirds of an inning in the first game of the double header.After failing to get out of the first inning, Olson was determined to turn it around for the rest of the day. In the Hoosiers 14-4 loss to the Buckeyes, Olson went 2-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI.But Olson’s offensive performance could not match the Buckeyes, who put up runs in a hurry.Buckeye freshman Alicia Herron hit 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI.After the Buckeyes’ offensive explosion in the first game, their offensive production cooled off for the entire second game. Olson tuned out her performance from the first game and shifted her focus.“I think I was more prepared in the second game not just physically, but mentally, too,” Olson said.The lone Buckeye run came off a couple of walks from Olson and an illegal pitch, where the umpire ruled that she did not keep her foot on the mound when she released the ball.Despite the defeat, Olson said she is still honored to be in elite company for her no-hitter.“It was just exhilarating,” Olson said. “I don’t think it’s really set in yet.”
(04/08/09 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (5-26, 1-5) recently got something they have lacked throughout the season: a feature pitcher.Sophomore pitcher Sara Olson will take the mound against the Big Ten’s best today, when IU faces No. 16 Ohio State (28-6, 5-1). Olson at 2 p.m. today at IU Softball Field. Olson will look to match her performance from Saturday against Northwestern, where she held one of the nation’s top offenses to two earned runs.Olson credits a change in her mechanics as the reason for her recent success.“I’ve been working on keeping my pitches low and actually getting them to move,” Olsen said.If IU wants to keep the game against Ohio State close, it can’t let junior catcher Sam Marder take over. Olsen is well aware of the fact that Marder already has 14 home runs and 32 RBI.“Sam Marder is definitely one of the best hitters in the Big Ten,” Olsen said.The Buckeyes have struggled as of late: Ohio State has averaged just two runs in its past three games. If the Hoosiers hope to knock off one of the Big Ten’s top teams, the Buckeyes’ scoring drought will have to continue.
(04/06/09 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU (5-26, 1-5) appeared to be outmatched by No. 8 Northwestern (22-7, 8-0) going into Saturday’s doubleheader.While the Hoosiers lost 3-1 in the first game, they showed no signs of bowing down to the defending Big Ten Champions.The Wildcats maintained a 1-0 lead, and the Hoosiers failed to register a hit until the sixth inning. Senior shortstop Emily Bergeson continued her streak of clutch hitting, tying the game in the top of the sixth with a solo home run. The home run was the Hoosiers’ only hit of the game.“I’ve been very pleased with the way she’s been playing,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said. “I feel like she’s been our team leader.”But Northwestern rallied off a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth to score two runs, giving them a 3-1 win.Sophomore Sara Olson kept the Hoosiers close once again, allowing two earned runs in her six innings of work.“She really worked the corners well, and she threw good pitches,” Gardner said.The Hoosiers’ second game of the day was not as close. They fell 8-0 to the Wildcats in five innings. Despite the loss, Gardner continued to stress her team’s near road win against one of the nation’s top teams.“We had good defense and good pitching,” Gardner said. “But you can’t have one hit against the No. 8 team in the country.”
(04/02/09 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (5-24, 1-3) lost in the toughest fashion – via a walk-off home run in extra innings.Evansville (8-18, 2-8) knocked IU off 4-3 on a ninth-inning home run from the tip of second baseman Kristen Shirk’s bat.“We just didn’t finish the game,” senior shortstop Emily Bergeson said.The senior stepped up with a 2 RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game for the Hoosiers at 3-3.The loss will be charged to sophomore pitcher Sara Olsen (4-6) in the stat book, but Olsen did all she could to keep the Hoosiers alive. The sophomore pitcher was able to hold the Purple Aces to two earned runs in five and one-thirds innings of work.On top of that, Olsen got the Hoosier rally going with a solo home run to start off the seventh inning.Although the Hoosiers suffered a tough loss, they were able to take away a couple of positives.“We learn from every situation,” Bergeson said. “We kept battling, and that’s the No. 1 thing.The loss marks the fourth-straight one-run game the Hoosiers have played in. With talented Northwestern next on the schedule, IU knows it has to have a short-term memory.“We need to clear our heads and focus on this weekend,” Bergeson said.