Hoosiers improve, go .500 in Louisiana tournament

After starting the season a disappointing 1-4, the IU women's softball traveled to Baton Rouge, La., this weekend for the Tiger Classic.\nHoosiers were off to a great start as junior pitcher Megan Roark threw a complete game no-hitter against Southern University in a 7-0 IU win Friday morning.\n"Everything just sort of clicked," Roark said. "I had confidence in my defense that they would back me up."\nIn her seven innings of work, Roark struck out seven batters while walking two. The no-hitter was the 18th in school history.\nAgainst Southern, the Hoosiers got all the offense they needed in the second inning when senior second baseman Ashley Griffiths hit a double to left field, scoring two runs. \nIU continued its strong play in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader as they defeated Grambling University 8-0.\nSenior Katie Witham allowed only three hits against a Southern squad that is winless on the season.\nAfter dominating in the first two games of the tourney, IU struggled against host team No. 10 Louisiana State University losing 6-1.\nThe host Tigers limited the Hoosiers to three hits while striking out 11 times. After dominating against Southern the previous day, Roark struggled in six innings of work.\nThe Hoosiers went into Sunday morning's game knowing that if they beat Southern for the second time in three days, they would play in the tournament championship. \nThe Jaguars got on the board first as they scored a run in the first and second innings on two IU errors. That was all Southern would need as the Hoosiers could not get on track.\nSouthern tacked on four more runs in the later innings to cap off the 6-0 victory.\n"We played a good game, but we were just a little tired," said freshman shortstop Jennilee Huddleston.\nWith the Tiger Classic behind them, the Hoosiers will return to Bloomington to prepare for the Holiday Inn-Select Tulsa Festival in Tulsa, Okla., this weekend. Their first game will be Friday against Drake University.\n"We know that we can't just turn it on and off," Phillips said. "We just have to leave it all on the field after every game."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Tim O'Brien at tpobrien@indiana.edu.