IU softball team looks to slow down Purdue during weekend showdown

After a tough start to the Big Ten season, the IU softball team (9-24-1, 1-5) will head to West Lafayette this weekend for a showdown with in-state rival Purdue (18-17-1, 5-1).

The Hoosiers will deal with a very potent Boilermaker offensive attack Friday through Sunday.

Purdue currently ranks third in the Big Ten in batting average at .312 and leads the Big Ten in hits with 301.

Senior outfielder Andie Varsho has provided a spark for the offense, putting up the second-highest batting average in the conference at .486. She also leads the conference with 54 hits.

With an offense as dangerous as Purdue’s, pitching is going to be an important factor in determining IU’s success over the weekend.

Despite her struggle against Ohio State, allowing five earned runs without recording an out, IU senior pitcher Meaghan Murphy will look to build on her solid performance from Tuesday.

Against Indiana State, Murphy pitched two full innings without allowing a single hit or walk.

Murphy credits her improvement to a change in the way that she approaches the game.

“I’ve changed my mindset a little bit,” Murphy said. “I’ve put whatever happened in the past in the past, and I’m going out in the circle with a fearless mindset. It allows me to throw the game that I know I’m capable of throwing.”

IU softball Coach Michelle Gardner has placed an emphasis on slowing down the high-powered Boilermaker offense.

“We need to hold their runs down,” Gardner said. “It’s been our nemesis. We have to play our game and limit run production.”

The Boilermakers have been dangerous on the base paths. They have 46 steals this season, which trails only Wisconsin in the conference.

“One thing about Purdue is that they are going to run on you,” Gardner said. “They are going to make (IU catcher Kelsey) Dotson throw, which is something that she has proven she can do.”

Dotson exhibited this against the Sycamores, throwing out two runners as they attempted to steal second base.

Purdue also is a strong pitching team. They have the fourth lowest earned run average in the conference (2.76), but teams have shown the ability to get hits off the pitching staff.

The Boilermakers have allowed 230 hits this season, the fourth highest amount in the conference.

This could bode well for an IU offense that racked up 10 hits in Tuesday’s game against Indiana State.

Gardner noted that the team has been putting hits together in recent games.

“We really need to keep hitting,” she said. “We’ve been hitting a lot better lately. It’s been encouraging.”

IU senior left fielder Jenna Abraham, who hit her second home run of the season Tuesday, said the team is focusing on the positive things they have done offensively.

“We are leaving the negatives behind,” Abraham said. “We are building on the positives heading into the series against Purdue.”

Abraham said the renewal of a rivalry, such as the one with Purdue, is going to further motivate the team.

“There’s always extra motivation when we play Purdue,” Abraham said. “We want to really take it to them.”