IU wins 3 of 4 versus Iowa

On the IU softball team's Alumni Day, some former Hoosiers saw some old records fall. And if they were here for the whole weekend, they saw a few Hoosier victories as well.\nIU won three of four games this weekend, sweeping Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday, then splitting a doubleheader against Iowa Sunday. With the victories, the team snapped an eight-game losing streak in Big Ten play and moved to 24-22-1 overall and 6-9 in conference.\n"This weekend the right team came out to play," IU coach Stacey Phillips said. "Here on out, we will be able to compete in trying to reach our goal of making the Big Ten tournament."\nOn Friday, in the opening game of the weekend, IU edged out the Badgers 3-1.\nThe IU offense made its appearance early in the bottom of the first as the Hoosiers put up three runs. Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado, junior first baseman Rachel Terry and sophomore third baseman Jennilee Huddleston led the Hoosiers in the bottom of the first with a single apiece. Senior right fielder Lauren Hines and junior center fielder Kim Richards recorded doubles.\nThe pitching and defense came around after that, as Bogado one-hit the Badgers, while the defense surrendered just one run.\nSenior pitcher Megan Roark and Bogado split time in the circle, only surrendering one run on five hits. Both pitchers recorded complete games.\nThe hitting, however, took a little longer to jump-start. With the game tied 1-1 in the fifth, sophomore catcher Janetta Deaven hit a solo home run, which led to a six-run inning. The team sealed the victory against the Badgers in the seventh by scoring two more runs to make it a 9-1 final.\nThe strong hitting continued right on to Sunday as the team put up 12 runs while only surrendering four as the Hoosiers defeated Iowa in the first game of a doubleheader. Richards' first-inning, three-run home run broke the school record for most home runs in a season with 36. However, Terry's home run in the bottom of the sixth ended the game by way of the mercy rule and moved the total to 37. Richards and Terry were a combined 5-for-8 on the game with seven RBI's. Freshman shortstop Stephanie Pellerito and Hines each contributed one hit and one RBI.\n"We have been concentrating on being aggressive at the plate," Richards said. "When we do that, we make contact and score runs, and then great things happen."\nThe team hoped for a weekend sweep, but came up short as it lost the second game of the doubleheader 3-2. The Hoosiers continued to hit and pitch well, but a home run in the fourth from the Hawkeyes ended up being the game winner.\nWith the score 3-1 in the sixth, the Hoosiers put up one run on a single by Pellerito but couldn't continue the rally.\nThe Hoosiers will take on Ball State Cardinals at 4 p.m. Monday in Muncie, but Terry said they will not take them lightly.\n"Every game is important at this time," she said.