Hoosiers find consistency in Florida

IU coach Stacey Phillips’ softball team found just what it was looking for all season when it went on a nine-game winning streak during the course of 15 games. The team had been struggling with consistency but dispelled all its troubles during a successful spring break. \nThe Hoosiers won the Bronze Bracket in Clearwater, Fla., defeating Fordham 7-2 and competed hard in Tampa, Fla., where they won seven of nine contests.\nIU has recently picked up its offensive output and added another slugger alongside junior catcher Tory Yamaguchi.\nThe emergence of junior infielder Jennilee Huddleston also helped the Hoosiers find the success they had been seeking all season. Huddleston has performed well for the Hoosiers in numerous games, including two home runs in a 7-1 win against Chattanooga. \nThough she has been successful individually, Huddleston cites her teammates as motivation for her recent success.\n“I really think we feed off of each other, and I was happy to pick up my teammates because they do the same for me,” she said. \nAfter coming in as relative unknowns, the pitching staff has come on strong lately. Sophomore pitcher Monica Wright said the team was able to cut down on the number of walks it had been giving up in previous games.\n“We were able to minimize walks while making them hit our pitches instead of pitching to their strengths,” Wright said. \nThe Hoosiers’ improvement during the break can be seen as a testament to their talent. Phillips has said all year that the team just needed both sides of the ball to come together. Wright said the Hoosiers were able to finally get both sides clicking, and the streak followed.\n“All of us knew we could (do) better, and we just waited for a game when everything clicked,” Wright said, “and once we did that everyone stepped up.” \nThis click came for the Hoosiers at the end of their trip in Clearwater, where they began their streak with an 11-3 win against Wagner. But IU also proved it wasn’t going to slip back into its slumping ways as it picked itself up after a 4-1 loss to Boston and followed with the victory against Chattanooga.\nHuddleston said the recent positivity surrounding the team will continue throughout the season.\n“I think these wins gave us confidence and let us know we can play with anyone,” she said. “And that attitude will help us when we play against big competition.”