Softball team opens tournament against very different teams

Following a difficult start to the weekend in Las Vegas, the Hoosiers look to keep the momentum going after their 8-5 win against Memphis this past Sunday.

The team had the chance to get outside for practice Wednesday afternoon and worked on pitching and hitting.

IU Coach Michelle Gardner said no matter what team the Hoosiers face this weekend, they will be prepared for every game.

“We’re working really hard on our pitchers and getting out of the zone or into the zone,” Gardner said. “Right now, we need to win ball games, so I think it’s real important that we are battling and that we don’t need to look at who’s on the other side of the field. We’re just doing what we need to do.”

This weekend, Indiana will travel to the Phyllis Rafter Memorial in Woodstock, Ga. The tournament, played at Kennesaw State University, is a new experience for the women, who are making the team’s first-ever appearance at the event.

The Hoosiers first face the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (3-1).

After a three-game win streak to start the season, the Colonels lost their final game of the Quality Inn Classic against Troy University Sunday.

The opening three-game streak was the team’s second-best start to a season ever, as the 2003 team started out 5-0.

In the third game of the streak, the Colonels defeated No. 5 Missouri 6-5 in 10 innings.

The Hoosiers might have to face freshman standout Shaylon Robb in the circle after she gets a chance to rest throughout the week. In Robb’s collegiate debut last week, she allowed just five earned runs in 21 total innings.

In the Missouri upset, she pitched eight of the total 10 innings and recorded seven strikeouts against a team that had a .478 slugging percentage last year.

There is a core group of strong hitters in the opening portion of the Colonel lineup.

However, the four through nine batters were weaker in the loss to Troy last week. Three of them had only one hit, and the others went 0-for-3 in the loss.

In the second game Friday, the Hoosiers will face the Southeastern Louisiana Lions (1-7). The Lions have yet to find their groove this season.

In their home tournament season opener, the Lions lost their first three games before earning their first win against Northern Illinois. In the first three games, the Lions gave up 25 total runs while only scoring eight.

After a painful start at the plate, the Lions hit .357 in their 10-2 win against Northern Illinois.

However, Southeastern Louisiana returned to their opening game woes and allowed 42 runs in their next four games during a four game losing streak.

The Lions will enter the game against IU after playing two games in two nights after facing LSU on Tuesday night and Southern Mississippi on Wednesday night before meeting up with the Hoosiers in Friday’s evening game.

The Hoosiers will play three more games throughout the tournament. However, Gardner said she stays focused on her own team rather than the competition.

“At this point, to me, it’s not about the other teams,” Gardner said. “It’s got to be about us and taking care of our own business.”