Hoosier gain confidence from road-win

The IU softball team competed against Kentucky in a game that they desperately needed to start their seven-game road trip.\nThe Hoosiers gained their much-needed game in the first of their doubleheader as they defeated the Wildcats 5-4, but fell 5-4 in the second.\nSenior Rachel Terry hit a clutch home-run and recorded two hits along with three other performers on her team. The Hoosiers regained their winning form in this contest.\nBefore the first game coach Stacy Phillips said that her team was capable of the type of performance they put out Wednesday.\n“The interesting thing is,” Phillips said. “What the other teams are doing we’re capable of it too, but we need to get the confidence back to do that.”\nThough the Hoosiers did perform well they began a little sluggish, as they were down 2-0, to the Wildcats to begin the fourth inning. But the Hoosiers exploded in that fourth inning and never looked back.\nThe offense that had seen struggles lately was in full swing after Richards hit senior Heather Hohs in for the first run of the game and was followed by Terry’s home run. The shot marked a career-high seventh for Terry. \nAlthough many Hoosiers performed well it was junior Tory Yamaguchi who delivered the win when she singled up the middle with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning to drive in the winning run of the first game. \nPhillips said her players were confident and she saw a better performance from them. \n“A lot of people stepped up today,” Phillips said. “We’re a talented hitting team, but we have nothing to lose at this point, there’s no pressure on us and I think that helped us see better results.”\nThe Wildcats were able to reverse the trend of their first game when they snatched a come-back win. \nKentucky trailed 4-2 in the fifth inning, but got to senior pitcher Christy Wahl – who had a one-hitter entering the inning – gave up an infield hit and walked the next three batters before leaving the game. She was replaced by junior Jennifer Moore, who relieved Wahl with the bases loaded, but gave up two runs later in the game that resulted in the final score.\nPhillips said her team performed well, but faltered in the clutch.\n “We clearly outplayed Kentucky in both games, but the second game came down to one play and one pitch and we don’t do well in those positions,” she said.\nThough the Hoosiers didn’t pull out the second game Hohs said the initial win against the Wildcats will provide the Hoosiers with fuel to compete in the rest of their trip.\n“We may not have come through with the second game,” Hohs said. “But we’ll definitely perform in the rest of the trip.”