30 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/26/13 2:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team (19-28, 3-13 Big Ten) takes on Wisconsin (35-9, 12-5 Big Ten) this weekend in its final home Big Ten series. Game one is set for 6 p.m. Friday, followed immediately after by game two of the series. The Hoosiers will close out the series with a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday, which will also be senior day.“We just need to stay together (this weekend),” junior outfielder Jenna Abraham said. “Obviously we’ve been struggling with some injuries, and we just need to stay as a team and keep working hard.”The Hoosiers are 6-6 in games played at Andy Mohr Field this season, while the Badgers hold a 10-6 record at away games.Wisconsin has been receiving votes in the national rankings, as one of the first three teams out in the most recent polls. The Badger offensive attack is led by the .427 batting average of junior outfielder Mary Massei, while the team posts a .308 batting average. Massei is also second in the Big Ten Conference in hits this season with 64. Senior outfielder Whitney Massey is tied with IU’s senior infielder Amanda Wagner for most doubles in the Big Ten with 15. Senior Meghan McIntosh leads off the Badger pitching squad with a 1.64 earned run average, while the team is posting a 1.85 earned run average. The Badgers have outscored their opponents 216-104 this season.Wisconsin heads into Bloomington coming off a six game winning streak, most recently taking both games in their home doubleheader with Northwestern on Wednesday.Wagner leads the IU offense with her .445 batting average, in comparison to the .243 batting average of the team as a whole.The Hoosiers have been outscored by opponents 203-167 in their 2013 campaign. Junior Meaghan Murphy leads the Hoosier pitching squad with a 2.99 earned run average, while the team is posting a 3.52 earned run average.The Hoosiers head into the weekend series off of a 5-2 loss to Ball State on Tuesday. Senior outfielder Samantha Heyman and Abraham led the offensive attack for the Hoosiers in that game with two hits apiece, while Heyman also scored a run in the matchup.“I think we all communicated really well and we stayed together as a team,” Heyman said of Tuesday’s game. “I think we just need to come together and we need to get excited for this weekend and win some ball games.”The Hoosiers had three errors on Tuesday that contributed to their loss to Ball State.“We have to be better defensively,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “(This weekend we need) cleaner defense.”Wisconsin is currently third in the Big Ten Conference team standings, while IU is 11th.The Hoosiers are currently riding an eight game losing streak.Despite the team’s recent losses, Abraham said the team is going to keep pushing themselves and not quit. “We need to get a lot of sleep, even though it’s finals week, and get a lot of rest and stay together as a team and fight hard,” Abraham said.
(04/24/13 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite taking an early lead against Ball State (30-13, 13-1), the IU softball team lost its Tuesday evening game to the Cardinals 5-2.The matchup at Andy Mohr Field marked the Hoosiers’ final midweek regular season game.“I thought we actually did a good job,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We got runners on base. Other than the two runs, we just couldn’t really push anything across but, you know, I thought we made better adjustments at the plate and I was very happy to see that.”The Hoosiers were first to get on the scoreboard, doing so in the bottom of the second inning. Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy started the inning with a single to the right side. A sacrifice bunt by senior outfielder Samantha Heyman allowed Murphy to move to second, and freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer reached first on an error by the Cardinals’ first baseman. Another single by junior outfielder Jenna Abraham loaded the bases for the Hoosiers, and a fielder’s choice allowed senior outfielder Kelsey Brannon to reach first and send Murphy home to take the 1-0 lead.The Cardinals responded in the top of the third with one run to tie the game at 1-1 after the Hoosiers allowed two errors in the inning. Ball State then took the 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth with a home run by sophomore shortstop Jessica Craft.Heyman opened up the bottom of the fourth for the Hoosiers with a single to left field. A sacrifice bunt by Farmer sent Heyman to second. Abraham was then walked to put players at first and second base. Brannon was struck out and senior infielder Amanda Wagner fouled out to first base, ending the inning and leaving two players stranded. A one-out home run in the top of the sixth sent in three Cardinal batters to score, giving Ball State the 5-1 lead. Heyman got things started for the Hoosiers in the bottom of the sixth with a double to center field, then advanced to third base on a passed ball. Farmer then grounded out to first to allow Heyman to head home for the unearned run. Abraham followed that up with a single to shortstop, but a final out would leave her stranded at first.Neither team scored in the seventh inning, giving Ball State the 5-2 win. Heyman and Abraham led the offensive attack for the Hoosiers, with both knotting two hits in the matchup. Farmer drove a run in to receive the only RBI for the team.“I’m just starting to focus on my short game a little more because I was struggling with hitting for power,” Abraham said. “I’m kind of focusing more on the short game, like bunting and putting the ball in play.”Sophomore Lora Olson took the loss on the evening, falling to 6-12. Olson struck out two batters and walked three while allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits.“I thought Lo threw relatively well. You know, the home runs were unfortunate, but we have to be better defensively, which tremendously would have helped, but we’re still working,” Gardner said. Despite the loss, Abraham said the team will be able to take positives away from Tuesday’s game.“We fought really hard today,” Abraham said. “We’ve just been struggling a little bit, but we’re not going to quit fighting. We just keep pushing ourselves harder and harder. We made some really good key defensive plays and key good hits so we’ve just got to focus on the positives.”
(04/22/13 11:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team (19-27, 3-13 Big Ten) returns to Bloomington for a 6 p.m. game today against Ball State (29-13, 13-1 MAC). The matchup marks the first of the next four games in a row the Hoosiers will play at Andy Mohr Field.The Cardinals are coming off of a split double header against Miami (Ohio) in which Miami took game one and Ball State claimed game two. The Cardinal offense is led off by the .493 batting average of junior pitcher and outfielder Jennifer Gilbert, while the team is posting a .321 batting average. Freshman Nicole Steinbach leads off the pitching squad with a 2.33 earned run average, compared with the 2.99 earned run average of the team overall. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 290-149 on the season.The Hoosiers are riding a seven-game losing streak heading into today’s game, most recently being swept in their three-game series at Illinois. Senior infielder Amanda Wagner leads the offense with a .458 batting average, while the team has a .244 batting average overall. The pitching squad is led by junior Meaghan Murphy’s 2.99 earned run average, while the team is posting a 3.54 earned run average. “I think we just need to come together as a team and put everything together,” senior outfielder Samantha Heyman said about what the team needs for the win. Despite the Hoosiers’ record in Champaign, Ill., during the weekend, the team saw several positive things in many of the players’ performances. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer saw success at the plate, driving in two runs and connecting on two doubles in the series opener. Sophomore pitcher Lora Olson held the Illini scoreless until the sixth inning in game two of the weekend, while allowing one run on five hits and striking out three. Wagner had her 15th double of the season in game two, tying her for first in the Big Ten Conference for doubles this season. The effort also tied her for the second-most doubles in a single season by any IU player, while she is just two short of tying the single-season record of 17 doubles.“I feel like we just need to get our mindset right and think positively and build on the good things we’re doing to keep the momentum going,” Boetjer said.Sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley leads the Big Ten Conference in sac flies with four on the season. Wagner’s .458 batting average puts her at fourth in the conference standings, while her .601 on-base percentage places her second in the Big Ten.Ball State leads the Mid-American Conference with its 13-1 record. The Hoosiers are currently No. 11 in the Big Ten standings.“We need to have a lot of energy and have confidence,” Heyman said of today’s matchup. “Once we do that, we’ll be the team that we want to be.”
(04/22/13 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Home runs were the cause of the IU softball team’s downfall in its three-game series at Illinois (14-25, 4-11) during the weekend. The Illini drove in key home runs in each matchup to defeat the Hoosiers (19-27, 3-13) in all three games. “I feel like we had our ups and downs,” freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer said. “We did some good things and we did some bad things.”Boetjer opened up the series pitching for IU, where the team dropped the first game 5-4 in its second extra-innings contest in a row. The Illini scored first, driving in two runs in both the first and third innings. The Hoosiers remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when senior outfielder Kelsey Brannon got things started for the team by reaching first base because of a throwing error then advancing to second after senior infielder Amanda Wagner walked. Boetjer then doubled to right field to send Brannon and Wagner home. Freshman infielder Michelle Huber sent the ball flying over the left field fence to score a home run that would bring in Boetjer and tie the game at 4-4.Both teams remained scoreless through the sixth and seventh innings, sending the game into extra innings.The Hoosiers failed to score in the top of the eighth.Illinois senior infielder Jessica Davis hit a home run off of the first pitch in the bottom of the eighth to end the game and give the Illini the victory.Game two started off with neither team scoring through the first five innings. The Illini scored off of a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth by freshman utility player Remeny Perez to give them a 1-0 lead. The Hoosiers failed to score in the seventh, ending the second game with a 1-0 loss. The series finale Sunday started with a two-run home run by Illinois sophomore utility player Jess Perkins in the bottom of the first to give the Illini the early 2-0 lead. Illinois tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fourth, followed by a three-run bottom of the fifth to give them a 6-0 lead. The team added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Hoosiers failed to plate a run, dropping the matchup 8-0.Senior outfielder Samantha Heyman, freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson and Boetjer led the Hoosier offense with a pair of hits each on the weekend.“For me personally, it’s just being patient and really waiting for the ball, finding pitches that are good and putting the ball in play,” Heyman said of her offensive strategy during the weekend.Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy received the loss for game one, falling to 12-13. Sophomore pitcher Lora Olson was dealt the second and third losses of the weekend to fall to 6-11.The series marked the third time the Hoosiers have been swept by a Big Ten opponent this season.“I thought we played strong,” Heyman said. “We’re making improvements and we’re doing a lot of good things. We just need to put it all together.”
(04/19/13 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team (19-24, 3-10) is heading to Champaign, Ill., this weekend to take on Illinois (11-25, 1-11 Big Ten) in a three-game conference series.The first game of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by a 4 p.m. matchup the same day. The Hoosiers will close out the series with a 2 p.m. game Sunday.Illinois heads into the series with a nine-game losing streak, most recently being swept in its home series with Minnesota. Illinois’s offense is led by the .346 batting average of junior outfielder Alex Booker. The team is posting a .229 batting average, as well as a 4.22 earned run average.In comparison, IU will head into Champaign with a four-game losing streak, most recently losing an extra-innings matchup with No. 9 Michigan. Senior infielder Amanda Wagner leads the Hoosier offense with a .471 batting average, while also coming in at second in the Big Ten Conference. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer pitched all nine innings for the Hoosiers in their game with the Wolverines, allowing 11 hits and seven runs. The Fillmore, Ind., native is posting a 4.41 earned run average, while the team holds a 3.49 earned run average.“I think we’ve just got to hit, put the ball in play, play good defense, have good pitching and I think we should be fine,” freshman infielder Michelle Huber said of the team’s game plan for the weekend series. Huber has been a hot bat for IU lately, posting two hits and one run in the team’s matchup with Michigan.“I’ve just mostly been trying to hit in the runners and just go with the pitch,” Huber said. “Looking for a good pitch mostly is my main goal and not swinging at things that I don’t want to hit at.”The Hoosiers will be on the road for the first time since March 31 after their nine-game home stand. Freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson said being back on the road shouldn’t have an affect on the team’s performance.“I don’t think it will affect us that much,” Dotson said. “I mean, you’re kind of getting down to the end where everyone’s tired, finals, yada yada, but I don’t think it’ll really be any different. “I mean, it obviously stinks a little bit more that we’re not home and we don’t get to sleep in our own bed.”IU is currently 10th in the Big Ten Conference standings, while Illinois is currently 12th.Despite struggling in their past few games, IU Coach Michelle Gardner said the team gained a lot of confidence in its most recent game with Michigan and will take that into its upcoming games.“You know, I think at this point in the year it’s always tough,” Gardner said. “I think that we just have to continue to work and compete. We’re doing the best we can to make things happen.”
(04/17/13 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In an extra innings heartbreaker at Andy Mohr Field Tuesday, the IU softball team (19-24, 3-10 Big Ten) fell 7-4 to No. 9 Michigan (36-7, 13-0 Big Ten). A doubleheader was set on the schedule for the Hoosiers, but the second game of the evening was canceled due to severe weather.Despite the loss, IU Coach Michelle Gardner said the team gained a lot of confidence in almost taking down the top dog in the Big Ten Conference.“I am just really pleased with our performance today,” Gardner said. “I was so proud of them. They just were resilient, and they battled.”The Wolverines struck the first blow in game one with one run in the second inning followed by three runs in the third to take the early 4-0 lead. The Hoosiers came close to scoring in the fifth inning with bases loaded, but ended their half of the frame with all three runners left on base.It took the Hoosiers six innings to get on the scoreboard, but they did so in dramatic fashion, with four runs off of five hits in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer got things started for the team with a single to shortstop. Freshman infielder Michelle Huber and freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson followed suit with another single each to load the bases. Senior outfielder Samantha Heyman walked, bringing in the first run for the Hoosiers. Another single by senior outfielder Kelsey Brannon brought in the second IU run, and a final single by senior infielder Amanda Wagner allowed two more Hoosiers to score.Neither team brought in runs for the remainder of regulation, pushing the game into extra innings.The score remained tied at 4-4 in the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth the game was delayed for what would end up being more than an hour due to severe weather.The Wolverines came out of the delay with a three-run top of the ninth to swing the lead back in their direction, 7-4.The Hoosiers were unable to regain their momentum after the delay, and failed to drive in a run in the bottom of the ninth, dropping the game to the Wolverines.“It’s just unfortunate, the delays, because who knows what would have happened, but I sure do like our chances if we didn’t have all that delay crap going on,” Gardner said.The teams were able to get in two-and-a-half innings of the second game before play was delayed multiple times and the game eventually canceled.Dotson led the IU offense with three hits and one run in the first game of the evening.“I was just kind of more focused on finding contact, slowing it down, not trying to kill the ball, and just really focus on finding it,” Dotson said. “I have my confidence back and I’m just rolling with it.”Wagner, Brannon, and Huber each had two hits on the outing, while Wagner also drove in two RBI. Dotson said that the team will use what they learned in Tuesday’s game to help them down the road.“[We learned] That we are good enough to beat teams like Michigan,” Dotson said. “I think today was just kind of the realization of ‘wow, we really can do that.’ We’ve been down lately, and I really think that from now on we’ll take this into games that ‘hey, we can do this.’ “Michigan is undefeated, and we almost beat them right there.”
(04/16/13 12:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team is geared up for a doubleheader this afternoon with No. 12 Michigan. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., followed by the second game at 4 p.m.The Wolverines (35-7, 12-0 Big Ten) come into Bloomington at the top of the Big Ten and riding a 17-game winning streak, most recently sweeping a doubleheader at Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.After being swept by Purdue in their most recent Big Ten Series, IU (19-23, 3-9) is going into today’s games looking to turn its losing streak around.“We have to bounce back really fast,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said. “We have to forget about this weekend. “I think it’s going to be more of a mental preparation that we need rather than a physical one since we have a day and a half to prepare for Michigan.”Wagner is currently first in the Big Ten in on-base percentage at .602 and second in hitting with a .469 batting average. She also has the second most doubles in the Big Ten with 13. Sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley leads the conference in sac flies with four.On the Wolverine side of the matchup, freshman shortstop Sierra Romero is second in the conference in runs scored with 46 and slugging percentage with a .889 clip. Romero is also tied for first in the Big Ten in home runs with 17. Romero’s teammate, junior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield, leads the conference in runs scored with 48. “I think the biggest challenge and our biggest focus will be controlling the controllables,” junior shortstop Shelby Gogreve said. “They have a lot of great players, and it’s our job to focus on how we can keep those players down and to focus on how to really maximize our results.”The Wolverine pitching staff is headlined by the 1.52 and 1.69 earned run averages of sophomores Haylie Wagner and Sara Driesenga, respectively. The team has a 2.02 earned run average on the season, as well as a .351 batting average. The Wolverines have outscored their opponents 320-122.In comparison, the Hoosiers head into the matchup with a 3.45 earned run average and a .251 batting average. The pitching staff is led by junior Meaghan Murphy, who is posting a 3.03 earned run average, followed by sophomore Lora Olson’s 3.26 ERA.IU Coach Michelle Gardner said the team will stick to the game plan they’ve had all season in today’s matchup.“We need to show up and play,” Gardner said. “We need to have good pitching, and we need to score some runs.”The Hoosiers are looking to improve on their 6-4 home record and are hoping to pull off the upset on the Wolverines.“The outcome is largely going to depend on what team we bring out to the field, so I think what we’re really going to be focusing on is bringing the Indiana that has a lot of communication and has a lot of energy and the Indiana that has a lot of fight,” Gogreve said. “If we can do that, then I have confidence that we can take a game or two from Michigan.”
(04/15/13 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing three consecutive games to Purdue (19-22, 6-6 Big Ten) during the weekend, the IU softball team (19-23, 3-9 Big Ten) was swept for the first time ever at Andy Mohr Field and the second time in the team’s Big Ten schedule.“I definitely think we were lacking in some areas,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said. “We had defense show up one day and pitching not the other day, and our offense was lacking all weekend really. We were missing key components on certain days.”The Boilermakers took control of the series from the start, topping the Hoosiers 7-2 in Friday’s matchup. Taking the early lead, Purdue scored one run in the top of the second inning and followed that with four runs in the third inning and one run in the fourth. The Hoosiers responded with a run brought in by a sacrifice fly by freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson in the fourth inning. This was followed by a run in the fifth driven in by freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer, but the effort was not enough to overcome the team’s 7-2 deficit. Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy was dealt the loss for the Hoosiers, taking her to 12-12 on the season.Play continued on Saturday, where the Boilermakers scored early once again, driving in six runs in the top of the fourth, followed by two runs in the top of the fifth. Sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley drove in the Hoosiers’ lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth, but the Boilermakers closed out the game with one more run for the 9-1 win. Sophomore pitcher Lora Olson received the loss for the Hoosiers. After Purdue jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with runs in the first and third innings in Sunday’s game, the Hoosiers put together a three-run third inning to take the lead at 3-2. However, the lead was short lived, with the Boilermakers tallying on three runs in the fourth inning and one each in the fifth and seventh innings to help them to the 7-3 win. Wagner had her 16th multi-hit game of the season, extending her hitting streak to six games. Junior shortstop Shelby Gogreve had two hits in the matchup while driving in one run. Olson was dealt the loss, falling to 6-9 on the season. “I thought that especially (Sunday) we came out with a lot of energy and a lot of heart,” Gogreve said. “We played hard and we did a lot of good things.”Wagner led the IU offense on the weekend with five total hits. The Hoosiers posted a total of 22 hits on the weekend but were only able to make six total runs.“Our hits are kind of sporadic,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “Yes, we had a lot of hits, but we had hits with nobody on, and we just aren’t really necessarily putting hits together when we need to score runs.”The weekend losses move the Hoosiers to 6-4 in games played at Andy Mohr Field.“Sometimes the game just doesn’t go your way,” Gogreve said. “But if you can come out and learn some things, you can take that into the next weekend.”
(04/12/13 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team takes on Purdue (16-22, 3-6 Big Ten) this weekend in its second home Big Ten series.The Hoosiers (19-20, 3-6 Big Ten) kick off the three-game series with a 6 p.m. game Friday at Andy Mohr Field. The second game of the weekend is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by the series finale 1 p.m. Sunday.“I think since we’re playing an in-state rival we’ll have a lot of energy and then (we need to) have all three components, pitching, hitting and defense, clicking and working as one together,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said.IU is coming off of a 2-1 record in their most recent Big Ten series with Penn State. The pitching team of junior Meaghan Murphy, sophomore Lora Olson and freshman Brooke Boetjer allowed a combined nine runs on the weekend. Murphy was part of both victories in the series, while Olson was dealt the lone loss of the weekend and Boetjer earned one save in the series finale. Five different IU players scored runs while eight different players posted hits on the weekend.Purdue comes into Bloomington off of a 7-4 win against Loyola, in which four players posted multi-hit games for the Boilermakers. The team went 1-2 in their most recent Big Ten series against Michigan State.Junior outfielder Lindsey Rains leads the Boilermaker offense with a .361 batting average on the season, while the team is posting a .313 batting average overall. Sophomore pitcher Lexy Moore leads the Purdue pitching squad with a 3.41 earned run average, while the team is posting a 3.91 earned run average overall. Wagner leads the Hoosier offense with a .456 batting average, while the team is posting a .251 batting average on the season. Both Murphy and Olson lead in pitching with a 2.82 earned run average each, while the team has a 3.24 earned run average on the season.“I think we’re in a good place,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “Right now it’s us continuing to grow week by week and be able to put everything together this weekend.”The Hoosiers are currently in their longest home stretch of the season, with Friday being their fifth of nine games in a row at Andy Mohr Field. The team has gone 3-1 so far in the nine game stretch, while going 6-1 at home on the season. The Hoosiers are 45-7 in games played in Bloomington since the 2011 season.“We like being at home,” Gardner said. “The kids are more comfortable, it’s just a matter of us continuing to work and grow. When we’re at home we have to take advantage of it.”Both IU and Purdue head into the weekend series tied for seventh place in the Big Ten team standings.“It’s nice to finally be in your own comfort zone and your own element,” Wagner said of the team’s current home stretch. “It’s our house, and we need to protect it.”
(04/08/13 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team (19-20, 3-6) went 2-1 during the weekend against Penn State (8-23, 1-7 Big Ten) in its first Big Ten series played at Andy Mohr Field in the 2013 season.“This weekend was the first series we took (in Big Ten play) and so I think that’s a really good booster for the upcoming weekends,” sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer said.In the Hoosiers’ first game of the series the team secured a 4-3 win over the Nittany Lions. IU took the early lead, scoring in the first off of an RBI single by sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley to drive in Meyer for the lone run of the inning. Responding with a three-run third inning, Penn State took the lead 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third. The Hoosiers cut the deficit to one in their half of the inning with a run by senior infielder Amanda Wagner. Both teams went scoreless for the next two innings, until the sixth inning, where the Hoosiers plated two runs to take the lead and hold on for the win. The Hoosiers dropped the second game of the weekend 3-0 for their first home loss of the season. IU’s scoreless game was the first time in 12 seasons the Hoosiers failed to drive in a run against Penn State. Freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer led the IU offense with two hits. The Hoosiers claimed the final win of the weekend 4-3, giving the team its first Big Ten series win at Andy Mohr Field. The Nittany Lions struck first in the matchup, scoring two runs in the top of the third with a home run by senior infielder Lauren Yao. IU responded in the bottom of the fourth with a double to left-center by Wagner that drove in senior outfielder Kelsey Brannon and freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson to tie the game at 2-2. “I think for (Wagner) just to calm down and not be overwhelmed with the moment but stick with her game plan, which was drive the ball, I thought it was huge for us right there,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said.A single by freshman infielder Michelle Huber drove in two runs by Wagner and Meyer to give the Hoosiers the 4-2 lead. Penn State responded with a home run in the top of the seventh, but the Hoosiers were able to hold on to their lead and secure the win.“Huber’s been a hot bat for me off the bench, so I thought that was a great time to put her in, and obviously it paid off,” Gardner said.The Hoosiers return to action on Friday to take on Purdue at home.“I think we’ve got some things that we need to continue to work on, as does anyone,” Gardner said. “But to me, right now, we’re going to need to take this one day at a time, one game at a time.”
(04/05/13 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team takes on Penn State (7-21, 0-5 Big Ten) at home this weekend for its third Big Ten series of the season.The Hoosiers (17-19, 1-5 Big Ten) will start the three-game series at 6 p.m. Friday at Andy Mohr Field. The second game of the weekend is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.“Like I’ve said all season, we need to have complete games with pitching, hitting and defense (to be successful against Penn State),” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said.IU is coming off of a 7-0 win against Indiana State Tuesday in which the team posted eight hits led by multi-hit games from senior infielder Amanda Wagner and junior infielder Shelby Gogreve. The pitching team of junior Meaghan Murphy and sophomore Brooke Boetjer kept ISU scoreless while only allowing two hits on the evening.Penn State comes into Bloomington with a six-game losing streak, most recently being swept in its Wednesday doubleheader at Michigan State. Senior outfielder Cassidy Bell leads the Penn State offense with a .456 batting average, while also leading the Big Ten Conference in slugging percentage at 1.063 and home runs with 14 on the season. Sophomore pitcher Macy Jones leads the Penn State defense with a 4.86 earned run average. The Lions are posting a .286 batting average and 7.68 earned run average in their 2013 campaign.The Hoosiers go into the weekend with a .251 batting average and 3.26 earned run average.“(We need to) just continue to have the energy we’ve had throughout the last few games,” Murphy said about the Hoosiers’ game plan for the weekend. While the Hoosiers only have one Big Ten victory so far this season, the team has several players sitting at or near the top of multiple statistical categories in the Big Ten Conference. Wagner leads the conference for batting average and on base percentage, coming in at .464 and .582, respectively. Wagner is also fourth in the Big Ten in slugging percentage at .762 and second in the conference in doubles with 11 for the season.Sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer leads the conference in walks with 27, while her on base percentage of .470 takes her to 12th in the Big Ten. Sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley leads the conference in sac flies with four on the season.Murphy’s earned run average of 2.76 brings her in at 12th in the conference, while she is tied for sixth in the Big Ten for batters struck out at 96 on the season.IU is currently tied for ninth place in the team standings for the Big Ten, while Penn State comes in at 12th.The Hoosiers are looking to keep their seven-game home winning streak alive, as well as their undefeated record at Andy Mohr Field.“If we stay focused mentally and kind of just carry on what we had (against Indiana State), I think we’ll be successful,” Murphy said.
(04/03/13 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team kept its winning streak at Andy Mohr Field alive Tuesday, defeating Indiana State 7-0. The win marked the Hoosiers’ 10th straight victory against Indiana State,as IU improved to 4-0 at home. The Hoosiers (17-19, 1-5 Big Ten) struck early, driving in three runs in the bottom of the first to take the early lead.“Scoring first, no matter what game it is, just takes pressure off of us defensively and kind of gives us a little bit more room to relax and play loose,” junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy said. “I think when we score first really early in the game it gives us the confidence to know that we can score through the entire game.”Extending the Hoosier lead in the bottom of the second, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer scored on an RBI single up the middle by senior infielder Amanda Wagner to increase the lead to 4-0. The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth, when the Hoosier offense caught fire. Wagner started things with her 11th double of the season to right center, then scored off of a single by sophomore Shannon Cawley. Junior Shelby Gogreve then sent the ball flying to right field for a double, advancing Cawley to third. Both Cawley and Gogreve would score off of a single by freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer, bringing the score to 7-0. Neither team scored for the rest of the game.IU posted eight hits in the game with multihit games from Wagner and Gogreve. Boetjer drove in a career best two RBI for the Hoosiers. Allowing one hit, no earned runs, and no walks in four innings of work, Murphy received the win to improve her record to 10-11 on the season. Boetjer closed out the game for the Hoosiers, allowing one hit and no earned runs with four strikeouts in three innings pitched.“I wanted to split the game up and give both Meaghan and Brooke some innings,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “Both of my pitchers did a great job today.”Murphy and Boetjer came into the games with ERAs of 2.76 and 4.82 earned run average, respectively, for the 2013 campaign.“Going into this game I had the mindset that I needed to keep my ball in the corners off the plate and kind of out of the zone,” Murphy said. “(I needed to) make them chase the pitches that I wanted them to chase and keep my ball moving.”The win marked the Hoosiers’ seventh straight win at home dating back to last season, as they swept Nebraska in their final home series of the 2012 season and went undefeated in the Hoosier Classic earlier this year. The Hoosiers are now 42-6 at home since the 2011 season.“We have to have all three parts working: pitching, hitting and defense,” Gardner said. “Today we had that.”
(04/02/13 12:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team returns to its home stadium after two weeks on the road to play Indiana State at 6 p.m. today. The matchup kicks off the next nine games to be played in a row at the Andy Mohr Field for the Hoosiers.“Traveling is definitely tiring, so to be able to return home and play the next nine games at Andy Mohr Field will be a nice change for us,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We always seem to play well at home, and to be able to do so in such an amazing stadium is something we look forward to doing.”The 11-20 Sycamores, reigning from the Missouri Valley Conference, are currently posting a 1-12 record at away games. Sophomore Ashli Scott leads the Sycamore pitching squad with a 3.55 earned run average, while the team posts an overall 4.57 earned run average. Indiana State’s offense is led by sophomore utility player Megan Stone (.378 batting average), while the team posts an overall batting average of .254 on the season. The Sycamores have been outscored by opponents 155-122 in their 2013 campaign.“We just need to make sure we do well in all aspects of the game: pitching, hitting and defense,” Gardner said of the team’s game plan against Indiana State. “If we can produce in each of those areas and continue to come out and play, we should be successful.”The Hoosiers are currently posting a .249 batting average while keeping opponents to a .298 batting average. In the last weekend out, IU posted eight runs in its three-game series against Michigan State, while allowing the Spartans to score 17 runs. The Hoosier’s defense is led by the 2.86 earned run average of junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy, while the team is posting an overall 3.36 earned run average.“To be successful against Indiana State, what we really need to do is stay where we’re at and focus on communication and team camaraderie,” junior infielder Shelby Gogreve said. “We have pitching and hitting. We just have to find a way to get it all working at one time.”The Hoosiers currently have a 3-0 record at home in their first season playing at Andy Mohr Field. “It’s just always so much better to be at home,” Abraham said. “We want to protect our home turf, so that’s something else we want to play for, as well.”IU is looking to improve its 16-19 overall record on the season.“It will be really nice to sleep in our own beds and have our fans cheering for us,” Gogreve said. “Hoosier Nation is powerful.”
(04/01/13 2:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team went 0-3 against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., this weekend. Michigan State is the first team to sweep IU in a conference series since 2010.“Of course we would have liked to see a different outcome on the weekend, but I thought we finished with a lot of energy, and our team showed a lot of fight, especially in the last game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “Despite a few miscues on the weekend, we really battled at the plate and continued to answer when we were down. That’s definitely something positive that we can take out of this weekend.”The Hoosiers struggled Friday in their first game of the weekend, falling 5-0 to the Spartans. Michigan State took the lead early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first and tacking on two more in the bottom of the third to give them a total of five runs for the afternoon. Junior infielder Shelby Gogreve led the IU offense with two hits, while junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy and freshman infielder Lexi Reese each posted one hit. Murphy was dealt the loss after allowing nine hits and two earned runs in the matchup.“I had a bit more success at the plate, and I think it’s largely due to what we’ve been working on in practice,” Gogreve said. “It felt good to have individual success, but it would have felt even better to have more team success.”The Hoosiers dropped their second game to Michigan State on Saturday, 10-7. IU scored early, posting two runs in the top of the first inning, and held onto the lead until the Spartans plated five runs in the bottom of the second to bring the score to 6-3. The Hoosiers would never regain the lead, despite scoring in all but two innings of the matchup. Junior outfielder Jenna Abraham led the offense with two runs on the afternoon while freshmen catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer, sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley, senior infielder Amanda Wagner, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and Gogreve each brought in one run for the Hoosiers. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer was dealt the loss, falling to 1-2 on the season.“I feel like I’m getting better every at bat,” Abraham said. “I’ve been focusing on the team aspect more than the individual aspect, and it’s actually helping me get a lot better.”On Sunday, IU lost their final game of the series 2-1 in extra innings, with Michigan State taking home all three wins on the weekend. Both teams posted one run in the fourth inning, with neither team scoring again until the Spartans scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Wagner posted the lone run of the game for the Hoosiers while Meyer and Murphy posted the only hits of the afternoon. Murphy was dealt her second loss of the weekend, falling to 9-11 on the season despite striking out seven batters and allowing just one earned run on six hits.“The extra innings loss was rough because we were in it the entire game, but our energy was up, our fight was there,” Gardner said. “We just needed that one key hit or that one key play, and the game could have had a completely different outcome.”The Hoosiers are now 1-5 in Big Ten play and 16-19 overall in their 2013 campaign.“Losing is never easy, so all of the losses were difficult, but one thing I liked from this team was that they never quit,” Gardner said. “They came out each day and fought.”
(03/29/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team plays in its second Big Ten series this weekend against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Play starts with a game at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. game Saturday. IU closes the weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup Sunday.After Michigan State’s first Big Ten series with Penn State was postponed due to poor weather conditions, this weekend will mark the 14-13 Spartans’ conference opener, as well as their home opener.“I want to have a complete game. We had bits and pieces of a complete game last weekend, but I really want to see us do all three parts of the game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s goal for this weekend. “I want good pitching, because I think that’s kind of where the game starts. Obviously I want to be able to score runs and get some run production, and defensively we have to play clean.”The Hoosiers’ pitching squad is currently posting a 3.24 earned-run average and will go up against a Spartan offense posting a .277 batting average. Michigan State’s offense is led by the .434 batting average of senior outfielder Kylene Hopkins, who was selected earlier in the season for the watch list for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The Spartans have been outscored by their opponents 97-92 in their 2013 campaign.“Last year we played (Michigan State) in our last Big Ten series, and I would say it was one of the harder series we had in the whole Big Ten Season,” sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley said. “They didn’t win a single conference game last year, but they’ll score runs and play hard from the first inning to the last inning.”Senior infielder Amanda Wagner, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and Cawley combined for 17 of IU’s 25 hits in last week’s games against Louisville and Ohio State. Wagner led the way for the Hoosiers, posting a .636 batting average in the four games last week, followed by a .500 batting average for Meyer and a .364 batting average for Cawley. Wagner currently ranks first in the Big Ten Conference for batting average (.473) and on-base percentage (.574). The senior’s batting average is also eighth-best among NCAA Division I hitters. “Last weekend we had two really big performances by Amanda Wagner and Bri Meyer, and everybody contributed here and there,” Cawley said. “I’m hoping to see a little bit of everybody stepping up and playing a big role (this weekend).”The Hoosiers head into East Lansing with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten and a 16-16 record on the season.Both Gardner and Cawley said the team will need to play a complete game in order to be successful against Ohio State.“The last few weekends we’ve had games where we’ve been able to hit but then we haven’t been able to play good defense, or vice versa. I think in order for us to really be successful this weekend and win the series and potentially sweep, we’re going to need to bring together all of the elements of our game,” Cawley said. “(We need) solid defense, good pitching, and then obviously a lot of run support.”
(03/28/13 7:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team plays in its second Big Ten series of the season this weekend against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The weekend of play starts off with a game at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. game Saturday. The Hoosiers close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup Sunday.After Michigan State’s first Big Ten series with Penn State was postponed due to poor weather conditions, this weekend will mark the 14-13 Spartans’ conference opener, as well as their home opener.“I want to have a complete game. We had bits and pieces of a complete game last weekend, but I really want to see us do all three parts of the game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s goal for this weekend. “I want good pitching, because I think that’s kind of where the game starts. Obviously I want to be able to score runs and get some run production, and defensively we have to play clean.”The Hoosiers’ pitching squad is currently posting a 3.24 earned-run average and will go up against a Spartan offense posting a .277 batting average. Michigan State’s offense is led by the .434 batting average of senior outfielder Kylene Hopkins, who was selected earlier in the season for the watch list for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The Spartans have been outscored by their opponents 97-92 in their 2013 campaign.“Last year we played (Michigan State) in our last Big Ten series, and I would say it was one of the harder series we had in the whole Big Ten Season,” sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley said. “They didn’t win a single conference game last year, but they’ll score runs and play hard from the first inning to the last inning. When we score, they respond, so it’s just going to be a matter of playing a full game from the first inning to the seventh inning and never really coasting.”Senior infielder Amanda Wagner, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and Cawley all combined for 17 of the team’s 25 hits in last week’s games against Louisville and Ohio State. Wagner led the way for the Hoosiers, posting a .636 batting average in the four games last week, followed by a .500 batting average for Meyer and a .364 batting average for Cawley. Wagner currently ranks first in the Big Ten Conference for batting average (.473) and on-base percentage (.574). The senior’s batting average is also eighth-best among NCAA Division I hitters. “Last weekend we had two really big performances by Amanda Wagner and Bri Meyer, and everybody contributed here and there,” Cawley said. “I’m hoping to see a little bit of everybody stepping up and playing a big role (this weekend).”The Hoosiers head into East Lansing with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten and a 16-16 record on the season.Both Gardner and Cawley said the team will need to play a complete game in order to be successful against Ohio State.“The last few weekends we’ve had games where we’ve been able to hit but then we haven’t been able to play good defense, or vice versa. I think in order for us to really be successful this weekend and win the series and potentially sweep, we’re going to need to bring together all of the elements of our game,” Cawley said. “(We need) solid defense, good pitching, and then obviously a lot of run support.”
(03/25/13 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team went 1-2 this weekend in its Big Ten opening series against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The three-game matchup marked the team’s first of eight series in Big Ten play.In the series opener on Friday, the Hoosiers fell 9-5 to the Buckeyes. After neither team posted runs in the first two innings, IU took the lead 3-0 in the top of the third. Ohio State responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third to tie the game. In the remaining four innings, the Buckeyes drove in six runs to the Hoosiers’ two, securing the win. Sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and senior infielder Amanda Wagner both posted two runs in the matchup, with sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley claiming the other run for the Hoosiers. After a combined pitching effort by junior Meaghan Murphy, sophomore Lora Olson and freshman Brooke Boetjer, Olson would take the loss to fall to 6-6 on the season.“We did a lot of things right,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the Hoosiers’ weekend series. “We scored runs, I had three kids absolutely tear it up at the plate this weekend. We battled on Friday, we battled at the plate and we were able to score runs, but we didn’t have a complete game.”IU claimed the win in the team’s Saturday afternoon matchup, snapping the Buckeyes’ seven-game winning streak. The two teams went back and forth for nearly three hours before the Hoosiers secured the 6-4 win in a nine-inning game. “We did a great job of bouncing back and hanging in there the second game,” Wagner said.IU dropped the series finale 8-2 in the second game of their Saturday doubleheader. The Buckeyes led the entire game, with the Hoosiers’ lone runs coming in the fourth inning. Wagner and Cawley each posted a single run in the team’s three-hit, two-run effort. Murphy took the loss for the Hoosiers, falling to 9-9 on the season.“(Ohio State) started off the game with a homerun, which was kind of a tone setter,” Gardner said. “We still battled and did good things. Pitching wise we’ve got to get stronger, and that hopefully will come around.”IU falls to 16-16 on the season, while going 1-2 in conference play and 4-4 in away games. “(We’re going to) just keep pushing through and keep our focus on our goal to be Big Ten Champs and eventually make the post season,” Wagner said.Gardner said the team is planning on getting some rest this week, as well as practicing defense and technical aspects of their game. She cited poor weather conditions as one disadvantage for the team this year, as they were able to begin practicing outside in February last year. “It’s tough right now because it’s so grueling getting to this point. It’s been a long road already and there is a lot of Big Ten play to be done,” Gardner said. “What’s different for us right now is during the week while we’re here we haven’t been able to be outside. That plays into it too, not getting all of the defensive work in that we would do normally in between series.”The Hoosiers return to action March 29, in East Lansing, Mich., for a three-game series with Michigan State.“It’s still early and we’ve got a lot of season left to play,” Gardner said. “What I love about our schedule is we have a Big Ten Tournament at the end of the season, so we still have a long way to go and a lot of time to put everything together.”
(03/22/13 12:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team heads to Columbus, Ohio on Friday for its Big Ten opener with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The three-game weekend series starts off the team’s 23-game conference schedule.The Hoosiers open their weekend of play against the 18-8 Buckeyes with a 3 p.m. game Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday. The team closes out the weekend with a final matchup at 1 p.m. Sunday.This weekend is the home opener for Ohio State, who is currently posting a .313 batting average, while outscoring their opponents 154-85 on this season. The Buckeyes are currently riding a six game winning streak. IU goes into the matchup with a 15-14 record, after closing out non-conference play with a 4-1 loss to No. 11 Louisville. “We need to make better adjustments at the plate,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s game plan going into this weekend. “I’d like to see those adjustments at the plate, and to continue making progress in the circle.”IU is currently posting a .254 batting average, as well as a 2.96 earned run average.“We definitely need to keep up pitching and defense, and then offense needs to be more productive and keep adding pressure to (other teams’) defense,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said of the team’s plan for success against the Buckeyes.This weekend’s matchup with Ohio State opens up the next seven consecutive weekends of Big Ten games for the Hoosiers. The team will play in three-game series each weekend, as well as one weeknight doubleheader. “I think we just need to look at it as a new start, stick to our game plan, trust in our preparation, and just play our game and go out there and get our first conference win,” freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer said. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Big Ten Championship, but our smaller goal is to win every weekend, either sweeping or winning two out of three.”The Hoosiers will move into the Big Ten Tournament on May 9 in Lincoln, Neb. The Big Ten Tournament is making its return for the first time since 2006, ending the tournament’s six-year hiatus. This will allow additional opportunities for Big Ten teams to play in the post season, with the winner of the conference tournament receiving an automatic bid into an NCAA Regional.“We want to be Big Ten champs, but we also have to be aware of taking it one game at a time and not getting ahead of ourselves,” Wagner said.The Hoosiers went 14-10 in last year’s conference schedule, tying for fourth in the final Big Ten standings.IU goes into Friday’s game looking to improve upon its 3-2 away game record, as well as its 15-14 overall record.“We have a tremendous amount of talent, and if we can find a way to execute and perform at the level that this team is capable of, I think we will have success,” Gardner said.
(03/21/13 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team was dealt a tough 4-1 loss in Wednesday night’s game against the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. The contest in Louisville, Ky., marked the Hoosiers’ final matchup of their 25-game regular season schedule.The Hoosiers opened up the game with an early 1-0 lead off of a first-inning solo home run by senior infielder Amanda Wagner. The team would hold on to their lead until the Cardinals rung in a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 1-1.“It set the tone, but we didn’t capitalize on it,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the Hoosiers’ early lead. “I felt like we were in a good place — we just didn’t continue to do what we needed to do.”After a scoreless fourth inning for the Hoosiers, the Cardinals would hit a three-run home run to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Hoosiers threatened to cut into Louisville’s lead in the top of the sixth, with two outs and bases loaded. The Cardinal defense was able to keep the Hoosiers from scoring, and they held on to their 4-1 lead. With neither team scoring in their final at bats, Louisville was able to pull off the win.“I’d say we did pretty good. We just had a hard time getting the ball in play for hits,” freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer said. “Defense did great. We didn’t have any errors. They had runners in scoring positions multiple times, and we didn’t let them score. One runner scored all of their runs, and you really can’t control that.”Louisville’s sophomore shortstop Whitney Arion led the Cardinal offense, scoring two home runs and holding all four RBI.“[Sophomore pitcher Lora] Olson gave up two home runs, and she doesn’t normally give up home runs, so that was unfortunate because she threw well,” Gardner said.Olson was dealt the loss after throwing five innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. The sophomore falls to 6-5 on the season. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer closed out the game for the Hoosiers, giving up two hits and striking out one.Farmer went 2-3 to post her third career multi-hit performance, while Wagner went 1-3 for the night and improved her hitting streak to six games. Wagner’s home run was the only score of the game for the Hoosiers and the senior’s fourth home run of the year.“Our pitching has shown consistent improvement, and I’d like to see our hitting do the same,” Gardner said. “We are scoring runs, but we need to capitalize on situations where we have runners in scoring position.”The Hoosiers had their hands full with the Cardinal defense, led off by junior pitcher Caralisa Connell. Connell allowed three hits and one run while striking out nine in the contest.“We weren’t able to string our hits together and have consecutive good at bats and put the pressure on them,” Wagner said. The Hoosiers fall to 3-2 on away games and 15-14 on the season. The team returns to action at 3 p.m. Friday with their Big Ten opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
(03/20/13 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team heads south Wednesday for a matchup with the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. The 6 p.m. game is the Hoosiers’ first weeknight game of the season after six weekend tournaments in as many weeks.The matchup marks the Hoosiers’ ninth game of the season against a top-25 opponent. So far, the team has gone 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 25.The Hoosiers have their work cut out for them with the 23-3 Cardinals, who are 11-0 at home this season and currently riding an 11-game win streak.Pitching will be key for the Hoosiers in their matchup with Louisville, as the Cardinals have scored five or more runs in 21 of their 23 wins this season. Louisville is currently posting a .344 batting average.“I really want to come out and score some runs and obviously still have good pitching,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “But offensively we need to be able to put up some runs.”Posting an earned run average of 1.71, keeping their opponents from scoring runs is exactly what the Cardinals are good at. Only three of Louisville’s opponents have scored more than three runs in a single game this season, with the Cardinals outscoring their opponents 173-57 this season.“This is going be a big test, because Louisville’s a good team,” Gardner said. “We have to go down there and play. Hopefully what went on this weekend will carry over into this week.”The Hoosiers are coming off an undefeated weekend in the Hoosier Classic in which they outscored their opponents 19-2. Ten different Hoosiers scored runs for the team in their home opener on the new Andy Mohr Field. The Hoosiers will go into Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak.“We need to come out and be energetic like we were this past weekend,” senior outfielder Samantha Heyman said. “We need to stay together as a team and keep doing what we’re doing and keep winning games.”Gardner said the team is riding on a spark of energy from the success in last weekend’s tournament, and the team hopes to keep that alive in Louisville.The game against Louisville is the Hoosiers’ final matchup before moving into Big Ten play on March 22 in Columbus, Ohio. The contest will close out the team’s 30-game regular season schedule.“We’re looking forward to this game and looking forward to opening the Big Tens next weekend,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said. “This is kind of a precursor to opening Big Tens.”The Hoosiers go into Wednesday’s game with a 15-13 record on the season, as well as a 3-1 record on the road.“We have to take our momentum and try to transfer it down there,” Wagner said. “Louisville’s a good team, so if we can keep our energy level the same as it was (at the Hoosier Classic), we’ll come out on top.”