IU splits games, ends losing streak

The IU softball team came into Wednesday's double-header with an 0-10 Big Ten record and an eight-game skid with six of those games going by two runs or less. Luckily for the Hoosiers, the Kentucky Wildcats came into Bloomington with an eight-game slide of their own.\nEach team was able to break both of their losing streaks Wednesday with Kentucky winning the first game 9-5, and IU taking the second contest 4-2. The second game had a very interesting ending.\nBecause of waning light after the long first game, the second contest was called in the middle of the sixth inning after Kentucky had amassed two runs to tie the game. Following the rules of softball, both of the Wildcats' runs were wiped out and the fifth inning score was adopted, giving IU the 4-2 win. While the game's ending left a sour taste in the mouths of the Kentucky players and fans, the Hoosiers were confident they would have taken the game had it run its full course.\n"We would have like to have completed it, but a win is a win," junior Valerie White said. "I think we would have scored a run in this (sixth) inning that didn't get completed, and I think we would have held them for the seventh."\nPrior to the game's truncated end, IU's match-up with Kentucky was a close game throughout. With two outs in the top of the first, Kentucky began the scoring with a two-run home run by freshman Lori Melchi. IU would wait until the third inning to answer the Wildcats' call with a four-run inning of its own. \nWith only one out and runners on first and second, White stepped up to the plate and handed the Wildcats a double, scoring both runners and tying the game at two runs apiece. Senior Stormy Hanson added a single of her own, scoring White. Eventually Hanson crossed the plate which gave IU a 4-2 lead that stood until the top of the sixth inning.\nWith two outs and two runners on base, senior Nikki Jones hit a shot to the centerfield wall, scoring both runners. Trying to turn a stand-up triple into an inside-the-park home run, Jones was caught at the plate to end the inning. Just before the Hoosiers stepped back to the plate, the umpire called the game because of darkness, giving IU the win.\nAided by a strong wind running out of the park, the first game of the double-header was a high scoring contest. The Wildcats managed to score in every inning save the fourth including a four-run sixth inning to secure the 9-5 win.\nWhile the Wildcats spread their attack out, IU scored each of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the top of the fourth, freshman Lauren Hines hit a two-run shot to begin IU scoring.\nAfter already amassing two runs in the fifth inning and having a runner on third, junior Heather Stillians hit a double down the left field line to score IU's fifth run of the game. \nThe Hoosiers are happy to end the skid, but coach Sara Hayes was confident the team could have swept the Wildcats if the first game was played with more energy. \n"I don't think we carried the energy that we've had in the last couple of weeks through to today, which was disappointing," Hayes said. "But I think we showed some resiliency in the way that we came back in the second game." \nFinally capturing a win will certainly ease the strain on IU's psyche after dropping such a large amount of close games, but the team is aware that tough in-conference opponents are in the horizon.\n"It feels good to come out victorious, finally," sophomore Katie Witham said. "We've been struggling a little bit, but I think we still need to pick it up and when we get to the Big Ten, we especially need to pick it up because the competition is definitely high"