Gardner earns 300th win

IU’s Sunday victory over Valparaiso was also IU Coach Michelle Gardner’s 300th career victory.

Gardner said that even though she is proud of the accomplishment, the credit goes to her teammates.

“I’m very happy to have gotten there,” she said. “The credit goes to the kids. They really played hard this weekend.”

The Hoosiers went 3-2, including the team’s wins in the final three games of the weekend in the Spring Hill Suites Invitational, bringing its record to
5-16-1.

In the first game, despite outhitting Weber State 8-7, the Hoosiers fell by a score of 5-3.

IU registered the first run of the game in the top of the second inning when senior infielder Breanna Saucedo drove in sophomore infielder Michelle Huber on a RBI single to center field.

Weber State quickly gained the lead, scoring three runs in the next three innings, including a two-run homerun off of the bat of freshman utility player Sara Hingsberger.
In the top of the fifth inning, sophomore Kassi Farmer and senior Jenna Abraham hit a pair of RBI singles to tie the game at three.

In the next half-inning, Weber State senior pitcher Jasmine Ioane hit a two-run homerun to take a two-run lead, which would be the final two runs scored in the game.
In the second game of Friday’s double-header, IU fell to Boise State 3-2.

The Hoosiers got on the board first when senior infielder Shelby Gogreve drove in Farmer on a bunt.

In the top of the third inning, the Hoosiers extended their lead to two runs when Abraham hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Saucedo.

In the next half-inning, the Broncos drove in their first run of the game when senior Devon Bridges drove in senior Mackenzie Whyte off a single up the middle.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Boise State scored off of an error by IU.

After IU was unable to register a run in the top half of the final inning, Boise State scored the game-winning run when senior Tara Glover beat a throw home from Gogreve.

Despite registering just two hits in the opening game of Saturday’s double-header, which was a rematch against Weber State, the Hoosiers defeated the Wildcats 5-1.

The Wildcats put the first run of the game on the board off of a RBI single.

In the bottom of the fifth, Huber hit a solo homerun over the left field wall to tie the game at one.

IU opened the sixth inning with a triple from Abraham. After having batters reach the base because of a walk and a bunt, Gogreve stepped up to bat with the bases loaded.
After Gogreve put the ball in play, Wildcat sophomore infielder Brooke Field overthrew the first baseman. Two Hoosiers scored on the error.

In the next at-bat, freshman infielder Erin Lehman hit a ground ball that drove in two runs because another throwing error from Weber State, which solidified the IU victory.
Junior starting pitcher Lora Olsen earned her first win of the season, throwing a complete game and allowing just one earned run on five hits. Olsen also struck out six batters, which is a season high.

IU took on Boise State in the second game of Saturday’s double-header.
The game was delayed in the fifth inning, but the Hoosiers earned the fourth victory of the season 5-4.

Both teams were held scoreless until the top of the fourth inning.

The Hoosiers brought three runs across the plate in the inning, led by a Huber double that drove in two runs.

After play was resumed, IU drove in two runs in the top of the fifth.

Despite a four-run effort by Boise State in the final two innings, IU came away with the victory.

Sunday, IU defeated Valparaiso 3-1.

The IU scoring effort started early when the team drove in two runs in the opening inning. Huber and Farmer were responsible for driving in the runs.

After stealing her eighth base of the season, Saucedo scored IU’s third run of the day.
Valpo scored its only run of the game in the top of the fourth inning.

The run by Valparaiso would be the final of the game for both teams.

Gardner said even though the team struggled in the first two games, she liked the overall improvement in the final three contests.

“After the first two games, I really challenged them to do some other things,” Gardner said. “The intensity and energy picked up. All of the things that I’ve been telling the team that they need to do, they have started to do them.”