Hoosiers pummel IUPUI

Everything went in order for the Hoosiers in the fourth inning of yesterday's 9-0 win over IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. In the top of the frame, starting pitcher Allison Cooke had her only 1-2-3 inning of the day. In the bottom half, the team led off with three straight hits -- a single, a double and a triple. The triple, off the bat of junior third baseman Heather Suca, sent teammates Annika Ochoa and Brooke Monroe home for a 7-0 lead. IU added two more runs in the inning on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Stormy Hanson and a bases-loaded single by junior center fielder Katie Joy for a nine-run advantage. Cooke pitched a scoreless top of the fifth to invoke a nine-run, game-ending rule. \n"I think we handled (IUPUI) exactly the way that we should have," Coach Diane Stephenson said. "That's impressive because we haven't done that. We came out and played well."\nHanson started the scoring for the Hoosiers, taking a pitch from Jaguar pitcher Megan Fultz in the first inning and driving it over the wall in left-center for an early 2-0 advantage. It was Hanson's seventh home run of the year.\nThe Hoosiers scored three more runs in the third inning. Suca led off with a single, and Hanson then hit a line-drive single to left field. After Suca and Hanson advanced on a bunt by designated hitter Heather Stillians, right fielder Abby Stark doubled both runners home. IUPUI countered with a new pitcher, sophomore Stacy Lear, but first baseman Valerie White hit a near carbon-copy of Stark's double to left to drive in another run. \n"We did what we do in practice every day," Hanson said. "We just sat back and swung our bats. It was great. We do it every day in practice, so it was good to see it work today in the game."\nCooke pitched all five innings to earn her first win of the year. She gave up six hits and was able to get out of jams early. In the second, with two runners on and one out, Cooke got a popout and a groundout to second base.\nIn the third inning, IUPUI had runners at second and third with only one out. But Cooke got Jaguar first baseman Blair Bronson to pop up in foul territory. White caught the ball and threw home to tag out Fultz for the last out. \n"I'm very pleased. It's nice to get a win," Cooke said. "I felt like I came out, was strong and didn't have any errors. Solid defense is really what it comes down to. You're going to get out of jams with solid defense."\nStephenson said the game was a good confidence builder for Cooke for the rest of the year and for the team's upcoming weekend series at Minnesota.\n"Allison has struggled so far this season," Stephenson said. "She came off of any injury and she just had bronchitis, so it's good for her to get a win going and get ready for Minnesota"