Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Set for NFCA Leadoff Classic
2/20/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2013
| NFCA Leadoff Classic | |
| Dates | Feb. 22-24, 2013 |
| Location | Clearwater, Fla. |
| Game 1 (Friday) | Indiana vs. Central Florida • 1 p.m. ET | GameTracker |
| Game 2 (Friday) | Indiana vs. UMass • 6 p.m. ET | GameTracker |
| Game 3 (Saturday) | Indiana vs. James Madison • 10:30 a.m. ET | GameTracker |
| Game 4 (Saturday) | Indiana vs. Fordham • 1 p.m. ET | GameTracker |
| Game 5 (Sunday) | Indiana vs. Pacific • 10 a.m. ET | GameTracker |
| Radio | Free Audio |
| Game Notes | Indiana Game Notes |
| Social Media | @IUSoftball |
ON TAP THIS WEEKEND
The Hoosiers continue its way through the 2013 slate when they travel to Clearwater, Fla. for the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Feb. 22-24. Indiana will open the weekend with a pair of games against Central Florida and Massachusettes on Friday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively, before taking on both James Madison (10:30 a.m.) and Fordham (1 p.m.) on Saturday. IU will close out its stay in the Sunshine State with a 10 a.m. single game on Sunday against Pacific.
HOOSIERS WIN GEORGIA TECH CLASSIC
Last weekend, the Indiana softball team went 5-0 en route to winning the Georgia Tech Classic in Atlanta, Ga. The Hoosiers outscored opponents 28-5 over the weekend. The five runs in five games are the fewest allowed in that same span since Indiana held opponents to just two runs through five contests from April 28-May 7 in the 2011 campaign.
Pitchers Lora Olson and Meaghan Murphy contained opposing hitters to a combined .171 batting average and collaborated for 27 strikeouts in 34.0 innings of work. Behind two solid outings, Olson lowered her season earned run average from an already notable 2.03 to an even more impressive 1.38, the seventh best ERA amongst all Big Ten pitchers, and improved her record to 3-1 on the year. Murphy (4-2) also showcased a stellar weekend performance, highlighted by her first career no-hitter against Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 15. She becomes one of 10 Indiana pitchers to accomplish such a feat and is the first IU pitcher to toss a no-hitter since 2009 when Sara Olson blanked Ohio State back on April 8, 2009. The no-no is also the 24th no-hit performance in program history. Murphy also set a career-high for strikeouts in the Hoosiers 10-2 win over No. 24 Georgia Tech. The lefty fanned 10, the most for the Yellow Jackets all season, and held GT to just two runs on eight hits while walking none.
Indiana's pitching staff wasn't alone in terms of production. The Hoosiers' bats drove in 28 runs and averaged 6.4 hits per game at the Georgia Tech Classic. Six players hit above .300, and six recorded atleast one extra-base hit over the weekend. Breanna Saucedo lengthened her hit streak to five games, and more impressively, has reached base atleast twice in every start this season. Amanda Wagner hit .500 (6-for-12) for the Hoosiers in Atlanta, adding a double, three RBI while coaxing five walks. Freshman Kassi Farmer went 4-for-13 (.308) in five starts with eight RBI, four runs scored and three extra-base hits, while fellow classmate Kelsey Dotson hit .333 (4-for-12) for the Hoosiers.
CAREER MILESTONES
Several career milestones were met last weekend for a handful of Hoosiers, while a few freshman tallied career firsts at the Georgia Tech Classic in Atlanta, Ga. In the sixth inning in the first of two meetings with Georgia Tech last weekend, senior Amanda Wagner connected on her 100th career hit. Jena Malmen hit her first career homerun to help lift the Hoosiers past Marshall, 2-1 on Feb. 16, and Lora Olson fanned her 100th career batter in the top of the fifth inning against Marshall on Feb. 15. Freshman Kelsey Dotson drove in her first career RBI in the Hoosiers 10-0 win over Miami (Ohio), and Michelle Huber connected on her first career hit in her very first career at bat against Georgia Tech on Feb. 17.
