Hoosiers win midweek matchup with Evansville

The IU softball team gained a much-needed out-of-conference road win on Wednesday at James N. and Dorothy M. Cooper Softball Stadium in Evansville.\nThe Hoosiers defeated the Purple Aces 2-0 in a game that was largely a pitcher’s duel.\nIU scored its only two runs of the game in the third inning when senior Tory Yamaguchi, who gained two RBIs as she hit in junior Jennilee Huddleston. Yamaguchi continued to improve on a home-run spree this season, and she now has 12 on the season. \nOffense has been hard to come by for the Hoosiers, but Yamaguchi has been a constant performer for IU.\nAssistant coach Tarrah Beyster said Yamaguchi’s hit was a clutch one.\n“We were getting runners on base but couldn’t hit them in,” Beyster said. “It was a really big hit that came at the right time.”\nBeyster also said that her team took much better care of the ball in the win.\nIU hopes to get a smooth transition from this game. The Hoosiers have to prepare to face much more competitive Big Ten foes, who will pose a much greater threat to the Hoosiers than Evansville. Yamaguchi said today changed the team.\n“Today was a turning point,” Yamaguchi said. “Everyone was on a high today and this win was great for us heading into a Michigan (and) Michigan State weekend.”\nThis game may serve as a huge boost for the Hoosiers, who were able to end a five-game road trip that saw four loses and a win. The Evansville win will also help IU heading into a four-game home stretch that will be followed by seven road games before ending the regular season against Purdue at home in May.\nSophomore pitcher Monica Wright was able to post a shutout against the Aces. The sophomore transfer has been a mainstay in the circle for IU and has been the most reliable pitcher thus far. Beyster said she was impressed with Wright’s performance.\n“Monica had a really great game,” Beyster said. “She faced a lot of great hitters and she was able to keep them off balance.”\nWright said she expects to see the same winning team this weekend. \n“I expect our team to carry over everything that we did today into this weekend,” Wright said. “We all went out there and played our game and had fun and that’s what I expect this weekend.”