Softball team seeks first conference win

The IU softball team is looking for its first conference win in a three-game home series with Ohio State this weekend after starting the Big Ten season 0-3.

The Buckeyes currently have a 15-14 record, including a 3-0 mark in Big Ten play.
IU will face a tough Buckeye pitching rotation that includes junior pitcher Olivia O’Reilly, who currently has the ninth lowest earned runs average in the conference.
 
IU Coach Michelle Gardner said putting everything together offensively is going to be extremely important against Ohio State.

“We had a good weekend hitting the ball against Michigan,” Gardner said. “We were hitting better than we have been and we hit tough pitches, but we need to put it all together. We need to be able to score runs after getting hits, which is where we struggled last weekend.”

Sophomore infielder Kassi Farmer, who is currently tied for the third-most home runs in the Big Ten with six, said finding holes in the defense will play a large role in how effective IU’s offense is against the Buckeyes.

“We are on the right track,” Farmer said. “We hit the ball really well last weekend but we still struggled to get on base. We need to find holes in the defense and find ways to get on base. If we stick to the game plan things will start going our way.”

Senior shortstop Breanna Saucedo has also played a role in the Hoosiers’ improved offense.

Saucedo is looking to extend her seven-game hitting streak, a streak she has built from coaching and having confidence at the plate.

“For me, I just go up to the plate relaxed,” Saucedo said. “My coaches have taught me all they can. I’ve put in the hours in practice and I know that when I step up to bat that I can hit the ball and get on base.”

Saucedo, who currently has an on-base percentage of .365, is also a threat when she is base running. She has 11 steals on 13 attempts, which leads the team and she is fourth in the Big Ten in steals.

Gardner said Saucedo’s performance has been valuable to the team.

“Bre has been playing very well,” she said. “She’s really coming along and she has been a huge factor for us. Her effort and aggressiveness is just a part of what makes her so good.”

Pitching will also be key for the Hoosiers against an Ohio State offense that has a team batting average of .280 and gets extra base hits on a consistent basis.
 
Of the team’s 211 hits, 34 percent of them resulted in either a double, triple or home run.

Limiting these opportunities is something that Gardner has been focusing on in practice this week.

“We need to limit their big hits,” Gardner said. “We have been giving up big hits at inopportune times. We need to focus on the task at hand, which is not allowing extra base hits.”

Errors have also continued to be an issue for the Hoosiers this season. They have 45 fielding errors throughout 30 games, which is the highest amount in the Big Ten.
 
Farmer believes if the team can limit the mistakes on defense, it will prevent run production from Ohio State.

“We need to play clean ball,” Farmer said. “When we commit errors, they usually lead to runs. If we limit our errors, it is going to increase our chances of winning.”