Solid pitching, heavy hitting power softball team to pair of wins

It didn’t matter that they donned hair ties, ponytails and sparkly red headbands. It didn’t matter that it was an exhibition game or that their first regular season game was more than four months away.

These girls came ready to play.

The IU women’s softball team opened its fall schedule Saturday with a double-header against IUPUI at the IU Softball Field. By the end of the day, the Hoosiers had a grand slam and a home run in one inning, a transfer debut performance and most importantly, the first two wins on their fall season record.

With senior Sara Olson on the mound, the women started quickly in the first game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning.

But the Jaguars struck back in the top of the third with a solo home run by freshman Alicia Brewer, a graduate of Bloomington High School North.

However, it would prove to be the only run either Olson or relief pitcher sophomore Jessica Dobson would need in the first game. Neither gave up another run, leading the Hoosiers to a 4-1 win.

“It’s been a big thing for our whole pitching staff to not focus on the last at-bat whenever we give up a home run because it’s not important,” Olson said. “I just focus on the next pitch and the next at-bat, and I know my team has my back, my defense is there to back me up and my team can produce runs.”

Olson grabbed the win while giving up four hits, only one earned run and three strikeouts and walks.

Sophomore Samantha Heyman led the Hoosiers with two hits and two runs in the game one win.

In the second game, Olson picked up right where she left off, only in the batter’s box. Olson knocked in four runs with a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning. Later in the frame, freshman Meaghan Murphy began her stint as a Hoosier with a two-run home run, giving the Hoosiers a 6-0 lead after one inning.

And it would prove to be more than enough run support for senior Morgan Melloh, a transfer student from Fresno State Universtiy, who pitched the complete shortened five-inning game, only allowing one hit, striking out eight Jaguars in 16 batters faced and not allowing a single run in the 8-0 rout.

“It was great to get out and play because every game counts out here,” Melloh said. “I felt a little nervous starting out. I wasn’t smooth and really just needed to relax out there. I think it was just the first-game jitters.”

Even though the game didn’t go toward the team’s regular season record, IU coach Michelle Gardner said she saw it as a great chance to get out with competition and bring the team closer together.

“It was great to get the team out there and start building our team chemistry because I think that’s a big thing, and we did it today just by being out here,” Gardner said. “These games don’t make a difference or go in the books, but they do matter
to me.”