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The mood this week at women’s soccer practice was shockingly upbeat. Last Sunday, the Hoosiers (2-3) were outplayed in the finale of the Hoosier Classic and were defeated 3-1 by underdog Cal Poly. The loss placed the Hoosiers in a disappointing third for the tournament.
The women’s soccer team entered this weekend’s Hoosier Classic looking to take its third consecutive title in the event. Friday night the Hoosiers (2-3-0) defeated Vermont 5-0, with five different players scoring. The Hoosiers totaled 30 shots, putting half of those on goal. One of those scorers for the Hoosiers was freshman Darby Hannon, who scored her first career goal off a rebound shot from junior Christie Kotynski.
When one looks at a breakdown of the 2008 IU women’s soccer team, a number will stick out – zero. Zero is how many seniors this year’s team has on its roster.
The IU women’s soccer team (1-2-0) came into the Aggie Soccer Invitational unranked and winless. The other three teams in the tournament were all ranked in the top 14, but the Hoosiers were able to leave Texas with a split in the weekend’s games.
The women’s soccer team came into this season after a successful 2007 season, advancing further in the NCAA tournament than any other team in school history. The third round exit capped a 13-7-3, 5-4-1 in conference, record for a year ago on the strength of a 13-game unbeaten streak.
It has been an eventful six years for Woodland Hills, Calif., native Tory Yamaguchi. \nThe senior catcher started at IU as part of the team’s 2002 recruiting class. Now, with only two games remaining in her college career, Yamaguchi will finish with her name in the record books as the school’s all-time career home run leader.\nYamaguchi’s record-breaking 39th home run came in clutch fashion. With her team down 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Yamaguchi’s three-run blast sent then-No. 25 Iowa packing. \n“Nothing really changed since Sunday,” said Yamaguchi of breaking the home-run record. “The feeling has kind of set in when I looked at the ball at few times. But right now I am happier we swept Iowa.”\nHer game-winning home run completed the sweep against the Hawkeyes and kept the Hoosiers’ hopes of making the Big Ten Tournament alive.\n“She’s a great hitter and has proven it time and time again,” said IU coach Stacey Phillips. \nYamaguchi came to IU in the fall of 2002, but an injury made her redshirt the 2003 season. As a freshman in 2004, Yamaguchi led the Hoosiers with a .340 batting average while hitting freshman records with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs. She also set the pace for the team with 64 hits and 102 total bases. She repeated her performance as a sophomore with another statistically- dominating season, leading the team again in all major batting statistics.\nIn what was suppose to be her junior year in 2006, Yamaguchi took a medical redshirt and ended up leaving school and went back home due to an illness. That year the Hoosiers earned a berth to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.\n“It was crazy because I had excitement for them making the postseason, but it was sad because it was my senior class that I came in with in ’02. That part of missing out on it wasn’t good,” she said. “Ultimately my parents did the right thing by taking me out of school because of my illness, but part of me was a little upset. Hopefully we get that chance this year to go to the postseason.”\nAs a junior in 2007, Yamaguchi returned to form. She led the team with career highs in home runs and RBIs. She finished the season with a team-leading slugging percentage of .597. \nAfter the completion of the 2007 season, Yamaguchi sat just six home runs shy of breaking the all-time record.\n“She didn’t talk too much about it coming into the season,” said junior pitcher Monica Wright. “It was me more talking about it more than anything.”\nNow, with another season winding down, Yamaguchi has left a legacy not likely to be reached anytime soon, according to her coach.\n“This was a tough record to break and a record I think will be in the record books for a long time,” Phillips said. “This is pretty storybook with all she has been through.”
The Hoosiers kept their possibilities of making the Big Ten Conference Tournament alive by winning three of four games this weekend against conference foes Illinois and Iowa.\n“Coming in to play this weekend I thought about taking both from Illinois and stealing one from Iowa,” said IU coach Stacey Phillips. “The players showed a lot of fight and heart.”\nIn Friday’s 6-3 victory over the Fighting Illini the Hoosiers found themselves down 3-0 heading into their last at bat. IU was able to close the gap to 3-2 with a pinch-hit single to right field by senior Anna Olson. Junior Emily Bergeson followed the hit by drawing a walk to load the bases. Then freshman Sara Olson got behind early 0-2. On the next pitch, she smacked the ball straight over the center field fence for her first career home run and a walk-off grand slam.\n“I wasn’t trying to do that,” the Illinois native said. “I was just trying to get a single or put the ball in play.”\nIn Saturday’s game, a three-run home run by Bergeson wasn’t enough to catapult the Hoosiers to a win streak. The Illini outlasted the Hoosiers 15-14 in eight innings after a barrage of late runs.\nSimilar to Friday’s game, Sara Olson got another clutch hit Saturday when she sent two runs home off a bloop single to right field, shortening the lead to 11-8. After senior catcher Tory Yamaguchi’s single to center, Anna Olson appeared as a pinch hitter again with two runners on. Like her younger sister the day before, the elder Olson hit a game-tying home run.\nThe game headed to extra innings tied at 11. In the top half of the eighth, the Illini bats stayed hot as they scored four more runs. Bergeson’s third home run of the game cut the lead to 15-14, but the Hoosiers did not score another run and took their 33rd loss of the season.\nIn the two games against Iowa on Sunday, the Hoosiers prevailed by a 3-2 margin in both. In similar fashion, IU scored its three runs in each game off of three-run home runs.\nIn the first game against Iowa, Sara Olson did her part offensively and defensively. She crushed her three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and also pitched a complete game four-hitter, allowing two earned and striking out three. In the last inning, Olson got out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation to preserve the win for the Hoosiers.\nIn the weekend finale, the Hoosiers waited until the last inning to get on the board. Yamaguchi blasted a go-ahead homer to give the Hoosiers the lead in sixth inning. The home run was Yamaguchi’s 39th of her career, making her the all-time home run leader in Hoosier history.\n“I am more excited about sweeping No. 25 Iowa,” Yamaguchi said about hitting her home run. “In my four years we have never swept a team. It’s a good feeling.”
The IU softball team looks to get back in the win column as they take on Illinois (27-26, 6-8) 4 p.m. Friday at the IU Softball Field. \nDespite their 3-11 conference record, the Hoosiers (13-32, 3-11) still are not out of contention for qualifying for the conference tournament. The Hoosiers are currently in 10th place and just two games back from the eighth and final spot for Big Ten Tournament eligibility. \n“We have talked a lot about it,” IU coach Stacey Phillips said. “When you make goals at the beginning of the year and they are still in reach, you talk about those goals. We still have the ability to make noise.”\nSenior Kari Bettenbrock said Phillips is still optimistic about the outcome of the season.\n“Coach said we are still in the running for the conference tournament and to keep a positive attitude,” Bettenbrock said. “Although things have not gone our way, we have to continue to play IU softball.”\nThe Hoosiers will have a tough matchup to open the weekend when they face the Illini. One player the Hoosiers will have to be aware of is Illinois senior Angelena Mexicano. Mexicano comes into play in the top three of several offensive categories in the conference. She leads the conference in runs scored, home runs and total bases. She is second in RBIs and tied for third in hits.\n“We will definitely be cautious with Mexicano,” Phillips said. “We will not let her beat us. We know one pitch can beat us and that can be heartbreaking.”\nJunior probable starter Monica Wright has similar thoughts on the way to approach Mexicano.\n“We have to stick to the game plan,” Wright said. “We don’t want one player to beat us.”\nAfter two games against the Illini, the Hoosiers take on No. 25 Iowa (33-15, 10-4) in a doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon. The Hawkeyes are currently third in the conference and boast the second-lowest earned run average in the conference at 1.04. The Hawkeyes also have conference co-pitcher of the week and 20-game winner Brittany Weil as a probable starter against the Hoosiers. This is the third weekly honor of the season for Weil and fourth of her career. Weil did not allow an earned run in 20 innings of work last week. She struck out 28 batters in three appearances. Weil currently has 0.98 ERA and is second in the conference with 219 strikeouts. \nBettenbrock has seen more playing time recently for IU, after being used as a pinch hitter last weekend and in Wednesday’s game against Louisville. She admits not playing the whole game and coming in late in the game to hit is difficult.\n“It is hard,” she said. “I usually watch the pitcher, talk to the girls and when I get up to the plate, swing hard.”
The IU softball team was not able to avenge an earlier loss to Louisville as it was defeated 4-0 Wednesday afternoon in its final nonconference game. Despite the loss, pitcher Sara Olson bounced back after a tough weekend by pitching a complete game. The freshman only gave up one run, allowed five hits and surrendered a single walk while striking out four. \nOlson held the Cardinals scoreless for the first 5 2/3 innings of the game. IU coach Stacey Phillips said she has been pleased by Olson’s \nimprovement.\n“Sara just keeps getting better,” Phillips said. “As a young pitcher, she is willing to do everything to keep making herself better.”\nThe Cardinals (25-18) got on the board in the sixth inning when IU second baseman Julie DiNallo muffed a ball while she covered first base. Olson retired the next batter before hitting a batter, thus putting runners on first and second with one out. After striking out the next batter, the Cardinals were down to their last out as freshman third baseman Chelsea Bemis came to the plate. Bemis doubled to center field, scoring both runners. The Cardinals added one more to push their lead to 3-0. \nThe Hoosiers’ (13-32) best chance to score came in the bottom half of the sixth inning. IU got its first two batters on base with a single and a walk. Junior shortstop Emily Bergeson then fouled out trying to bunt the runners over. After a groundout from Olson, the Hoosiers had runners on second and third with senior catcher Tory Yamaguchi on deck.\nYamaguchi appeared to hit a game-tying, three-run homer that just hooked inside the left-field foul pole. After two discussions, the umpires called it foul to the dismay of Phillips and the IU fans. Yamaguchi eventually walked, loading the bases for senior first baseman Stephanie Pellerito. Pellerito lined a shot down third base that appeared to catch chalk, in turn making the ball fair. But the umpire ruled it foul, and later in the at-bat Pellerito struck out swinging.\n“It was a tough play,” \nPellerito said. “It looked like the ball hit the chalk, but there is nothing you can do about it if they don’t call it your way.”\nThe Cardinals added a home run in the seventh inning to extend their lead to 4-0.\nDespite the tough calls that did not go the Hoosiers’ way, senior third basemen Jennillee Huddleston said the team has to play through those unfortunate situations.\n“Things happen that are out of your control,” she said. “You just have to play your own game and try to fight through it and still try to win the game.”\nThe Hoosiers are back in action at 4 p.m. Friday at the IU Softball Field as they take \non Illinois.
IU coach Stacey Phillips and her softball team learned from their mistake in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Ohio State. In Friday’s game, Buckeye standout Sam Marder hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning to put the Buckeyes ahead for good. But in Saturday’s one-hit shutout win over Ohio State, Phillips and the Hoosiers (12-27, 2-8) instead walked Marder three times.\n“She beat us yesterday,” said junior pitcher Monica Wright. “We were going to make sure that did not happen again.”\nSenior center fielder Julia Hamilton got the scoring started in the first inning of game two, reaching base on a single through the left side of the infield. Hamilton then scored on a suicide squeeze from junior shortstop Emily Bergeson. \n“We have used this play a lot. I am kind of surprised they were playing so far back,” Phillips said. “Anytime Hamilton gets on base, we like to try to manufacture her because of her speed. Scoring first helped us get in control of the game. It was a huge play.”\nThe Hoosiers extended their lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Senior third baseman Jennilee Huddleston singled to left field to score senior first baseman Tory Yamaguchi. In game one, Yamaguchi homered for the 38th time in her career, putting her in a first place tie for the most in IU history.\nFreshman designated player Sara Olson came up in the fifth inning of game two with runners on second and third. In the middle of her at bat Olson had to step out because of an apparent leg injury. After Phillips went to check on Olson, the freshman dug back in to the box and singled up the middle, scoring Bergeson and Yamaguchi. \n“Coach threw a little dirt on my leg and talked with me, which relaxed me,” Olson said. “Getting that hit, it was very exciting.”\nPhillips credited Olson’s two-run single to the changes Olson made during her previous at bats during the game.\n“She’s a tough kid,” Phillips said. “She had been making adjustments from her first and second at bats.”\nWright (9-11) picked up the win for Hoosiers. She pitched her 12th complete game of the season and had her second shutout of the year as she gave up one hit and no runs while striking out five.\nA key point late in the game came while the Buckeyes were at bat in the sixth inning. Ohio State had runners on second and third with Buckeye first baseman Tory Haddad at bat. Wright and Haddad battled for 12 pitches before Wright got her to swing and miss at a pitch on the outside corner at the knees for strike three and the third out.\n“We had the momentum at that point and did not want that to shift,” said Phillips. \nThe Hoosiers are back in action 4 p.m. Tuesday as they take on in-state opponent Ball State at the IU Softball Field.
Before Wednesday night’s game against Indiana State, the IU softball team had committed errors in eight straight games. Against Big Ten opponent Ohio State this weekend, the Hoosiers will look to stay error-free for a second game and begin to move out of the cellar of the Big Ten. \nThe Hoosiers (11-26, 1-7) return home today to face the Buckeyes (23-14, 2-6) at 4 p.m. at the IU Softball Field.\n“We have been working a lot on our defense,” said IU coach Stacey Phillips. “We play as if the world is on our shoulders in games which lead to our errors. In practice, we have started to put more pressure on our defense using different tactics as the girls are fielding ground balls and pop-flies.” \nAs for the Buckeyes, who were ranked in the top 25 last week, they are currently on a six-game losing streak even though they are nine games over .500. In the span, the Buckeyes have been shutout three times and have scored a total of\nseven runs. \nThis weekend is unique for the Hoosiers, in that they only have to prepare for one conference opponent when usually they have to prepare to play two different conference opponents on a \ngiven weekend. \n“It is a good thing we only have to prepare for one team,” said junior shortstop Emily Bergeson. “They are our main focus and that \nis it.” \nPhillips also agreed that only having to game-plan for one team this weekend is a plus.\n“With all the nagging injuries we have, I am pretty thankful we only have one conference team this weekend,” she said. “We should be much more comfortable only playing one team.”\nIf the Hoosiers want to continue their success after their 4-1 win against the Sycamores, Phillips said the team will have to rely senior center fielder Julia Hamilton’s ability to get on base to use her quickness. In Wednesday’s game, Hamilton went 2-for-4, scoring a run and stealing her fifth base of the season, upping her career total to 48 and putting her in sixth place all-time.\n“Our track record as a team is pretty good when she is able to get on base,” Phillips said. “With her quickness and ability to steal bases, it is important for our team to get her \non base.”\nOne player the Hoosiers will have to worry about is Ohio State catcher Sam Marder. Marder comes into play ranked in the top-three of several offensive of categories in the Big Ten. Marder boasts a .475 batting average, 11 home runs and 44 RBIs, ranking second, third and first, respectively.\nSenior catcher Tory Yamaguchi said the team’s previous approach to players of Marder’s ability has been a no-fear mentality.\n“Our strategy has always been to go straight at them and to not pitch around them,” she said. “Our pitchers will throw their best pitches, and we will see who comes out on top.”\nPhillips also said she plans to pitch to Marder, but admitted in a tight situation that pitching around Marder is the smart play.\n“We are going to pitch to her to the best of our ability,” she said. “If the game is on the line, I am not going to allow her to beat us.”
The IU softball team (11-26) took out the Indiana State Sycamores 4-1 on Wednesday as junior pitcher Monica Wright continued her dominance against non-Big Ten Conference opponents.\nWright won her fourth consecutive game against a non-conference team to improve her record to 8-10 on the year. Wright pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and one run and struck out six. \n“Today we played really well,” said junior shortstop Emily Bergeson, who went 2-for-2 and drove in two RBIs. “Everything clicked.”\nSenior catcher Tory Yamaguchi agreed that the win was a result of teamwork. \n“This was a fun game and good team win,” she said. “We had good pitching and defense. We also were able to move the runners over and get them in.”\nOn the offensive side, the Hoosiers got help from the top of their lineup. The first five Hoosier hitters went a combined 7-for-15 with three runs scored and four RBIs.\n“We had timely hitting today,” said IU coach Stacey Phillips. “We had multiple-hit innings, which was really good. Our three and four hitters did what you want them to do. They went pretty much by the books, knocking in two RBIs each.”\nBergeson and Yamaguchi hit in the No. 3 and 4 spots, respectively. Yamaguchi got the scoring started in the fourth inning when she doubled to left field and drove in Bergeson and junior second baseman Julie DiNallo. Bergeson picked up the scoring in the fifth, singling to center field to send senior center fielder Julia Hamilton and sophomore right fielder Jennifer Glueckert home.\nThe Hoosiers return to Bloomington at 4 p.m. Friday to take on Big Ten opponent Ohio State at the IU \nSoftball Field.
The softball team bounced back from a four-game losing streak Tuesday, taking both games of a doubleheader against Kentucky.\nIn game one Tuesday afternoon, the Hoosiers (9-23) staged a comeback of their own. Down 4-0 to start the fifth inning, IU got on the board when sophomore left fielder Kelli Ritchison notched her first career run with an RBI single to drive in senior center fielder Julia Hamilton. The Hoosiers’ second run came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior second baseman Julie DiNallo to score senior third baseman Jennilee Huddleston.\nWith the team trailing 4-2 in its last at bat, senior first baseman Tory Yamaguchi came up to bat with runners on first and second with one out. Yamaguchi lined a pitch to center field that was misjudged by the outfielder and the ball went off her glove to bring the Hoosiers within one run at 4-3 with runners on second and third. \nHuddleston stepped in the box with two outs and runners on second and third. She doubled to right, giving the Hoosiers the lead and eventual win.\nIf the first game lacked excitement, the second game made up for it. Game two saw at least one run scored in every inning. The teams combined to score 29 runs and register 30 hits. To go along with the offensive output, Kentucky coach Rachel Lawson was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing with the home plate umpire.\nThe Hoosiers trailed 3-1 after three innings. In the fourth inning, the Hoosiers batted around to put up seven runs, highlighted by Yamaguchi’s bases-loaded hit that scored two runs. \nKentucky came back in the bottom half of the fourth to put up six runs of their own, making the score 9-8 in favor of the Wildcats. \nIn the top of the fifth, the Hoosiers responded and put five runs on the board, highlighted by a leadoff solo home run from freshman catcher Brittany Stein, and a three-run home run by Yamaguchi. The home run was Yamaguchi’s 37th of her career, putting her one shy of the all-time record.\nThe Hoosiers led 13-12 heading into the Wildcats’ last at-bat. IU junior Stephanie Pellerito’s pinch hit two-run home run in the top of the eighth broke the 13-all tie to put the Hoosiers ahead for good. IU added one more run to win 16-13.\nThe Hoosiers return to Big Ten play when they travel Friday to Minnesota.
The IU softball team is looking to bounce back from a rough weekend during which it dropped all four of its conference games and had to fight through a rain delay in its Big Ten Network debut. \n“Last weekend was a tough weekend for us,” IU coach Stacey Phillips said. “Having to open conference play with No. 6 Michigan and having to deal with the rain on Sunday was hard.”\nToday, the Hoosiers (7-23) head to Lexington to play a doubleheader against a familiar opponent – Kentucky (13-17). This will be the second time this season the Hoosiers have faced the Wildcats. On March 2, in the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., Kentucky defeated the Hoosiers 10-5 after the Hoosiers had been up 5-4 following the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, Kentucky rallied to score six runs and put the game out of reach for IU.\n“The first time we played them, they hit the ball really well,” freshman catcher Brittany Stein said. “But I feel we’re playing a lot better than we were in Tennessee, so I think it will be a different outcome this time around for us.”\nJunior infielder Emily Bergeson said she expects a more competitive game in \nthe rematch.\n“I think it will be better, since each team knows each other,” she said. “I know what to expect from them. Nothing should be a surprise.” \nA bright spot on the Hoosier team this season has been Stein’s play. She has recently moved into the starting lineup because of senior Tory Yamaguchi’s move from catcher to first base.\n“I think Brittany is transitioning really well,” Phillips said. “She has improved a tremendous amount. Also, it speaks to how diverse Tory is with her able to play first. With Brittany in behind the plate, it gives us more of an \noffensive threat.”\nStein is happy with her new-found playing time.\n“It’s great getting to play regularly and help the team out as much as I can,” she said. “Although I know I can do more at the plate, I hope I keep getting playing time so I can get that part of the \ngame going.”\nAn experienced catcher, Yamaguchi has also given advice to help Stein behind \nthe plate.\n“Tory just tells me to stay tough and keep doing what I’ve been doing,” she said.\nThe Hoosiers take a break from conference play when they take on Kentucky today, but Bergeson thinks the team will be as focused on this game as they would be if it were a Big Ten game.\n“I do not think it’s a big deal with the break in conference play since I think most teams do it,” Bergeson said. “At this point of the season, each game is important for us.” \nStarting today, the Hoosiers will be on the road for their next seven games. Their next home game will be April 11 against Ohio State.
One swing of the bat from senior first baseman Tory Yamaguchi was enough for the IU softball team (7-19) to get past Evansville on Wednesday. Yamaguchi’s grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning broke a 2-2 tie to give the Hoosiers the lead for good. A late home run for the Purple Aces closed the gap, but IU won 7-4.\nBefore the grand slam, junior infielder Emily Bergeson was intentionally walked to bring up freshman third baseman Brittany Devitt, who made the Purple Aces pay with a single up the middle to score sophomore right fielder Jennifer Glueckert.\n“Something like that you take personally,” Devitt said. “I wanted to make them pay.”\nAfter Devitt’s single came Yamaguchi’s grand slam.\n“I actually did not realize the bases were loaded,” Yamaguchi said. “After seeing Devitt get a hit after Emily got intentionally walked, I just wanted to get a hit.”\nYamaguchi hit her 35th career home run, three behind IU’s all-time leader Monica Armendarez. Even though Yamaguchi is one of the most talented Hoosiers on the team, she had recently been struggling at the plate.\n“The home run helped my confidence a lot,” she said. “My swing feels a lot better.”\nIU coach Stacey Phillips agreed that Yamaguchi has struggled recently and now hopes she is back on the right track.\n“I think this is going to build her confidence,” she said. “Tory is a very gifted and talented player and sometimes the struggles come from what’s between the ears.”\nAlthough hitting home runs might be familiar to Yamaguchi, playing first base Wednesday was not. This is the first time she has played first base since she played there sporadically during her sophomore year – she typically plays catcher.\n“I had not fielded a ground ball since summer,” she said. “But whatever keeps me in the lineup, I’m for it.”\nThe change, Phillips said, shows the flexibility she has with her roster.\n“I think Tory did a great job,” she said. “The problem has been keeping bats in the lineup and putting runs on the board. It’s nice when players on the team are versatile.”\nJunior Monica Wright picked up the win for the Hoosiers, as she pitched her fifth consecutive complete game. Wright went seven innings, scattered six hits, allowed four runs, struck out three and walked three. The win comes right before the Hoosiers begin conference play at home against No. 6 Michigan on Friday. \n“Hopefully we take momentum from this game,” Phillips said. “I think with some of the offensive and defensive switches, it has rejuvenated our team and opened our eyes.”\nPlaying the top team in the conference has Devitt eager to play this weekend.\n“Michigan is very tough, but I am excited to play them,” she said. “Any given day, anyone can be beaten.”
The IU softball team kicks off Big Ten conference play this week, but before it takes on top-team No. 6 Michigan (25-3) at 3 p.m. Friday at the IU Softball Field, the Hoosiers will host their last non-conference opponent, Evansville (14-7) at 4 p.m. today.\nThe Purple Aces come to Bloomington having won six of their last seven games, and like the Hoosiers, Evansville defeated Drake last week in a 1-0 shutout. In that game, today’s probable starter, left-hander Jacki Bradley, pitched a complete game. Bradley allowed one hit, struck out four and walked four.\nAlthough conference play is approaching, junior utility player Julie DiNallo said she is eager to start conference play.\n“My mind frame does not change,” she said. “You know you are getting better competition. If anything, I would say it is exciting and more fun.” \nCurrently the Hoosiers sit at a dismal 6-19 record. Senior center fielder Julia Hamilton sees conference play as a new beginning. \n“Conference play is a whole new genre,” she said. “We can use this as a fresh start and to redeem ourselves.”\nAs for if practice will have a different tone or if it will be approached differently due to the start of conference play, IU coach Stacey Phillips said she will stay consistent in \nher approach.\n“We practice very well,” she said. “It is just trying to translate that into the game. We will continue to stay positive. Our players just have to step up.”\nOne thing Phillips has struggled with is finding consistent play from the left field position to go along with regular starters sophomore right fielder Jennifer Glueckert and Hamilton. Earning the majority of the starts in left field this season have been freshman Brittany Devitt and sophomore Kristin King. After starting the year injured, sophomore Kelli Ritchison has started to play in the outfield, as well.\n“From the beginning of the season I thought Kelli was the best for the position,” Phillips said. “Unfortunately, she had a setback injuring her index finger on her throwing hand.”\nLast season, the Hoosiers finished 1-19 in conference play, finishing last in the Big Ten. Although there is the potential to improve on their conference record from last year, DiNallo is not using it as a measuring stick this year.\n“No specific goals as in record-wise,” she said. “We just want to strive to get better and try and finish in the top half of the Big Ten.”\nHamilton also stayed away from setting a specific win total in conference play.\n“This is a competitive conference,” she said. “We must maintain our competitive edge and not focus so much on stats.”\nThe Big Ten Conference currently has three teams in the top 25: No. 6 Michigan, No. 12 Northwestern and No. 22 Ohio State.
The IU softball team (5-17) finished its spring break in Clearwater, Fla., this past weekend going 1-3 as they played in the 18-team Under Armour Showcase at South Florida. \nIn the Hoosiers’ game on Friday, Florida International shut out the team 5-0. Although starting junior pitcher Monica Wright (2-6) got the loss, she still managed to pitch well in the opener. This was Wright’s third complete game of the season – she also went the distance Saturday against Massachusetts – and she tied her career-high with eight strikeouts but still allowed five runs on eight hits. \nThe Hoosiers took on Rutgers in their first game on Saturday. Although IU broke a four-game scoreless streak, Rutgers defeated the Hoosiers 6-4, with two Hoosier freshmen providing a majority of the offense. \n“The freshmen are picking up the pace and coming,” IU coach Stacey Phillips said. “Going to high school then here is not an easy transition.”\nFreshman designated hitter Sara Olson went 2-for-3 and drove in two RBIs and freshman left fielder Brittany Devitt went 2-for-3 as she hit her third home run of the season. Olson’s hits and RBIs were the the first of her college career.\n“It was definitely exciting,” Olson said. “Also, having my sister (senior infielder Anna Olson) out there cheering me along was nice, too.”\nTaking the loss for the Hoosiers was freshman pitcher Alyssa Maiese (0-6). She went 2 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on only two hits, but the six walks she issued proved to be too much to overcome.\nThe Hoosiers broke their six-game losing streak in an eight-inning, 2-1 victory over Massachusetts Saturday afternoon.\nWhen a game is tied after seven innings in softball, the International Tiebreaker Rule goes into effect. This allows each team to place a runner on base at the start of every at bat prior to the start of each half inning.\nIn the Hoosiers at bat in the eighth inning, Maiese pinch-ran for senior catcher Tory Yamaguchi at second base. After freshman catcher Brittany Stein sacrifice bunted Maiese to third, sophomore outfielder Jennifer Glueckert singled to centerfield and Maiese scored. In the bottom half of the inning, Wright held on to give the Hoosiers the victory. Wright had her second solid pitching performance of the weekend as she allowed just one run on three hits.\nWright pitched her most consistent weekend of the season, as she secured her first win and pitched two complete games.\n“I have just been doing the same thing we have been taught,” Wright said. “I am focusing on getting ahead and trying to stay ahead.”\nIn the final game yesterday, the Hoosiers only managed three hits in their 1-0 loss to Radford. Junior infielder Stephanie Pellerito had two of the Hoosiers’ hits, and senior third baseman Jennilee Huddleston had the other. Olson started the game in the pitcher’s circle for the Hoosiers but left in the fourth inning because of an injury. Senior pitcher Jennifer Moore took the loss.\nThe home opener is next for the Hoosiers, when they welcome Drake to the IU Softball Field at 4 p.m. Thursday.
While most IU students will still be in Bloomington today waiting for spring break to start, the Hoosiers (1-8) are already in Florida. The Hoosiers are one of 14 teams competing in the Under Armour Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida this weekend. \nFirst on the schedule for the Hoosiers is Fairfield (1-4) today at 2:30 p.m. Coming off Sunday’s loss to Kentucky, where the Hoosiers were leading 5-4 after five innings, IU coach Stacey Phillips insists the team is close to putting things together.\n“We need to transition what we do in practice to the game,” Phillips said. “In Sunday’s game I saw a lot of fight and energy in them.”\nDespite the 1-8 start, Phillips and her players do not seem too concerned with their early season struggles. One reason the team isn’t concerned is because they are about to play a minimum of 16 games in 11 days.\n“I am not down, we have a lot of games coming up,” said sophomore infielder/catcher Emily Bergeson. “We are looking at each game at a time.”\nSenior outfielder Julia Hamilton thinks the team’s record is reason enough to play well in the upcoming games.\n“At 1-8, that should be motivation for us,” Hamilton said. “We will be able to turn \nit around.”\nGetting hits and scoring runs troubled the Hoosiers in their first tournament in California. The Hoosiers hit the ball better last weekend in the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., but did not score as well as they would have liked, only scoring four runs in their first three games of the series.\nThe Hoosiers hope their hitting leads to scoring as the team enters into this week’s play.\n“We just started doing a swing breakdown (Tuesday) in practice which I think will help,” Bergeson said. “It made us more focused \nand disciplined.”
