Hoosiers lose doubleheader

Coach Diane Stephenson has spent the entire season preaching to her team about the importance of intensity, claiming extra effort will be the determinant in whether the Hoosiers reach their goal of getting into the Big Ten tournament.\nBut it was No. 23 Wisconsin (19-12, 2-0) that came out with the needed intensity Friday. The Badgers used a three-run first inning to propel themselves to a 5-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader at Softball Field. The Hoosiers lost the second game to the Badgers 2-0.\nStephenson said the Hoosiers (10-21, 0-2 Big Ten) played with intensity in the first game, but two fielding errors allowed the Badgers to score two key runs -- the difference in the game.\n"I thought we came out and played well against Wisconsin, and the first game boiled down to an error at second base and an error at the plate." Stephenson said. "Both of those runs ended up moving around the bases and scoring. That's two runs that are the difference in us winning 4-3 and us losing 5-4."\nWith the Hoosiers trailing 3-0, Wisconsin's Lindy Barth reached base on an error by sophomore second baseman Heather Suca. Two batters later, designated player Nicki Starry collected her second RBI of the game with a double, scoring Barth.\nOffensively, the Hoosiers struggled to master the Badger's ace, Andrea Kirchberg, who struck out 11 batters. Kirchberg was dominating early, fanning 10 of the first 13 batters she faced.\n"We had a hard time getting on at first," sophomore shortstop Lisa Mattke said. "We had to go through the order a couple of times, then we ended up hitting her (Kirchberg) towards the end few innings."\nDown 4-0, the Hoosiers started making noise offensively in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior catcher Brooke Monroe and freshman designated player Dawn Ramynke each walked to open the inning. Freshman first baseman Heather Stillians drove in Monroe and one batter later, leftfielder Abby Stark knocked in Ramynke to bring the Hoosiers within two.\nIn the top of the seventh, Wisconsin again took advantage of a Hoosier fielding error to score the run, which would be the difference in the game. With a runner on second, Jade Gosse bunted right in front of the plate and Monroe overthrew first base, which allowed Teresa Mendez to score for the Badgers.\nMonroe hit her eighth home run of the season in the bottom half of the seventh, which gave the Hoosiers their final two runs of the game.\n"After the seventh inning, when I made that error, I was upset with myself," Monroe said. "They shouldn't have scored that run. So, I wanted to try to do what I could for the team to come back. We just didn't get there all the way."\nIn the second game of the afternoon, the Hoosiers did not display the same spirited effort that allowed them to hang with Wisconsin in the first contest. Badger senior Jennifer Cummings allowed only two hits, as Wisconsin finished off a sweep of the Hoosiers with a 2-0 victory.\nMonroe said Cummings stuff was similar to the caliber of pitchers the Hoosiers have faced all season.\n"She was a little bit more of what we've been facing all season," Monroe said. "She was a junk pitcher."\nJunior Alison Cooke had a strong effort go to waste on the mound, Cooke (7-12, 0-1) scattered five hits, in a losing effort.\nStephenson said she was disappointed the Hoosiers were not able to display the same amount of effort in the second game.\n"The second game I was a little bit disappointed. I don't think we came out with the same intensity," Stephenson said. "We need to have a sense of urgency; every game in the Big Ten is going to count. You can't wait until the end and hope somebody-beats-somebody-beats-somebody and then you win to get into the tournament. So that's what I was talking to the team about -- every game is determining if you make it to the Big Ten tournament"