Offense stalls in weekend losses

Coming into the weekend with its best start since 1997, the Hoosier softball team seemed poised to make a splash in the Big Ten standings. However the No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes had a different idea for their games on Friday and Saturday. \nIU was originally scheduled to play four games this weekend, but Sunday's double-header against the Penn State Nittany Lions was cancelled due to unfavorable weather conditions.\nPrior to the cancellation, Saturday's second match-up against OSU ended after only five innings and nine unanswered Buckeye runs due to the mercy rule. Despite the final score, the Hoosiers started out on the right foot. \nIn the bottom of the first, junior Valerie White led off with a single and was advanced to second with an OSU error. With IU runners on first and second, senior Stormy Hanson placed a sacrifice bunt down the third base line advancing White and senior Heather Suca into scoring position. Unfortunately both runners were stranded after a fly-out to the pitcher and a strike out.\nOhio State started firing from the top of the first with a two-run home run by senior Kristine Himes to place the score at 2-0. The Buckeye bats reignited in the third by scoring four runs after loading the bases to place IU at six runs in the hole. Another three runs were added in the next inning to put the score at 9-0 and bring the mercy rule into effect. \nThe Buckeyes amassed 11 hits while the Hoosiers could only muster three hits. OSU junior hurler Kristi DeVries was credited with the win, improving to 8-4, while IU sophomore Katie Witham (4-8) was handed the loss.\nDespite a similar 8-1 score, the Hoosiers played a different game in their first contest against OSU. IU's lone run came in the top of the sixth when Hanson singled and advanced to second with her 13th stolen base of the year. Hanson was driven in with a center field double by junior Abby Stark, bringing her season runs batted in total to 13. \nThe hosting Buckeyes scored in all but two innings in the contest and coming into the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead, OSU added three more runs for good measure with five hits, including three doubles. \nA prime IU scoring opportunity came in the top of the third when freshman Abby Page singled to first with a bunt, advanced to second with an error by the shortstop and finally reached third on a throwing error. With no outs and a runner on third, IU was not able to capitalize on this scoring opportunity.\nStark went two-for-two in the game, and Hanson went two-for-three, contributing to IU's seven hits in the game. Witham came away with the loss while OSU senior Katie Chain improved her record to 7-5 in six innings of action.\n"We came out to play hard, we stayed on our toes the whole game and kept fighting," coach Sara Hayes said in a statement. "It was a good approach to start off Big Ten play with. We need to do a better job on the mound and a better job in the outfield. But we hope to continue swinging the bats and bringing more runs across the plate"