Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Welcome Purple Aces for Mid-Week Contest
4/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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April 3, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana softball team continues it 2006 slate when it hosts Evansville for a mid-week contest on Tuesday, April 4, at the IU Softball Field. The game is set to begin at 3 p.m. and will serve as a fine tuning before the Hoosiers take to the road for a pair of tough Big Ten road matches against Michigan and Michigan State April 7-9.
FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
The Indiana softball team would like to make this season's home games a family affair, with each contest at the IU Softball Field catering to a family atmosphere. Along with competitive action on the diamond, giveaways will take place during the second through sixth innings at every IU home game. Prizes include gift cards to Moe's, Bucceto's and the T.I.S. Bookstore.
So come out and experience the action and excitement that is Hoosier softball, and make sure to bring the family along.
EVANSVILLE PREVIEW
Evansville comes into the match up with a 14-15 overall record and a 2-7 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Alicia Laraway leads the Purple Aces with a .420 batting average, followed by Brittany Herald with a .415 average. Ashley Hobbs shoulders the pitching duties for Evansville with a 2.72 ERA in 105 1/3 innings of action, and owns a 8-7 record on the season.
Head coach Gwen Lewis is in her 15th season with the Purple Aces, accumulating a 424-371-1 overall record while in command.
Indiana leads the overall series 22-5, winning three of the last four meetings between the two programs.
WEEK IN REVIEW
Indiana opened its conference slate with a two-game series against Ohio State on March 31-April 1, followed by a doubleheader against league-leading Penn State on April 2. The past week also included a doubleheader against regional rival Illinois-Chicago on March 29.
A strong performance from senior hurler Mariangee Bogado propelled the Hoosiers to a 5-1 performance over those six games. Bogado went 4-0 in five appearances in the circle, tallying 36 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings of action. Bogado surrendered only three earned runs through five games, giving the senior an impressive 0.72 ERA. On the season, Bogado boasts a 1.70 clip.
The Mariana, Venezuela native proved a pivotal component in the Hoosiers' 3-1 start in conference affairs, notching all three wins behind solid performances against some of the conference's best. The start included fanning 13 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Nittany Lions. On the season, Bogado has thrown six games with double-digit strikeouts.
The Hoosiers, behind the suffocating pitching of Bogado, were able to notch back-to-back 4-0 victories against PSU, while splitting the series against Ohio State. The effort also helped Indiana notch its first wins over Ohio State and Penn State in Big Ten action since 2004. The 2-0 record against the Nittany Lions is the first series sweep over PSU for IU since 1998.
WHAT'S COMING UP
The Hoosiers return to conference action as they travel to the state of Michigan to face Michigan and Michigan State for a pair of Big Ten contests. The Hoosiers take on the Wolverines on Friday-Saturday, April 7-8, while they conclude the weekend with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 9, against the Spartans in East Lansing. IU opens its contest on Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch, followed by a game at noon on Saturday. Indiana's doubleheader against Michigan State begins at noon on Sunday.
LEAVE IT IN THE PAST
The Indiana softball team is in the process of erasing the memory of one of the toughest seasons in IU history. In 2004, the Hoosiers posted a 13-41 overall record, including a 2-18 clip in conference games.
In 2005, the Hoosiers have already eclipsed last season's overall win total with a 18-12-1 record on the year, while they just dismissed last year's Big Ten wins total in a single weekend, upending Ohio State and Penn State to open conference action 3-1. The start is IU's best since opening 5-0 in 1997.
MAKE IT A SWEEP
Indiana posted its first sweep over the Penn State Nittany Lions since 1998 on April 2. The Hoosiers toppled PSU with back-to-back 4-0 victories during the day's doubleheaders. The sweep also helped propel the Hoosiers to a 3-1 start in conference affairs.
FRESHMAN DUO
Freshmen shortstop Stephanie Pellerito and second baseman Sarah Padove recorded their second and first career home runs, respectively, to propel the Hoosiers to a 4-0 win over Penn State in game one of the doubleheader on April 2. IU registered all four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to topple the Nittany Lions for the first time since 2004.
Pellerito opened the decisive sixth inning with a solo home run to left field to break a Hoosier hitting slump. The blast also ended Penn State's no-hitter and put the Hoosiers on the board, 1-0. Padove then stepped to the plate and kept the streak going as she sent her first long ball of her career over the left field fence.
MAKE IT TWO BIG TEN NODS
With senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado's performance in leading the Hoosiers to their best start in conference games since opening 5-0 in 1997, the senior grabbed her second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honor, announced the conference office on April 3. The laurel is her second of her career.
IU's top hurler proved to be a pivotal component in the Hoosiers' 3-1 start in conference affairs, notching all three wins behind solid performances against some of the conference's best. The start included fanning 13 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Nittany Lions. On the season, Bogado has thrown six games with double-digit strikeouts.
Bogado grabbed her first career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade for the week ending March 12, leading the Hoosiers to their first tournament title at the Florida State Tournament.
Bogado led the Hoosiers from the hill with four wins en route to the FSU Invitational title in Tallahassee, Fla. Of Bogado's four wins, two came over top-25 opponents in No. 15 Nebraska, 2-1, and No. 25 North Carolina, 1-0.
THIS IS MY FIELD
Indiana currently leads the Big Ten in fielding percentage with a .981 average. The Hoosiers on the season on track to set another IU record for the fewest errors committed in a single season. The Hoosiers stand at 17 on the season, the second fewest allowed by any Big Ten team.
