Friday, March 28, 1997

Lady Sluggers to face Hoosiers

By BRIAN COSTELLO
Collegian Sports Writer

The Penn State softball team is expecting to be greeted by throngs of people wearing blue and white when it reaches Indianapolis International Airport today.

Penn State's Jennifer Accordino is tagged out at the plate in a game last year against Michigan State. The lady sluggers take on Indiana in Indiana this weekend. (Collegian Photo / Shawn Knapp - click for full size image)

The legions of fans, though, won't be decked out in the school colors because they are there to root on the Lady Lions, who take on Indiana three times this weekend. The fans will be talking about Kentucky men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and not Penn State softball coach Robin Petrini, North Carolina assistant basketball coach Phil Ford and not Lady Lion outfielder Susannah Forde.

Despite most of the attention of the Indiana sports world being captured by the NCAA men's basketball Final Four this weekend, the Penn State softball team's concentration is set on Bloomington.

The Lady Lions (17-8) charge into the Big Ten season tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Hoosiers.

"We've just finished playing good competition in South Carolina and Florida," Lady Lion senior Jennifer Accordino said. "We're ready for it. We feel more prepared this year than before."

Accordino credited this year's better preparation to the fact the team played seven games last weekend as compared to years past when it played none the week before conference play started.

Indiana (16-8) is expected to be one of the top teams in the conference. The Hoosiers are led by shortstop Monica Armendarez, an All-Big Ten selection in 1996. The junior is batting .431 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. She now is being looked on to anchor the infield.

"Armendarez has been really steady for us, and she needs to be," Hoosier coach Diane Stephenson said. "She has to be able to handle a lot of different situations."

The Indiana pitching staff suffered the biggest loss from last year's squad with the graduation of All-American Gina Ugo. The Hoosiers have filled her spot with two freshmen, Teresa Martinez and Jessica Creith, who both have been impressive in their rookie campaigns. The duo has combined for a 1.49 ERA and 36 strikeouts.

The Lady Lions are coming off an outstanding pitching performance of their own. Freshman Jaci Kalp pitched a perfect game Wednesday against St. Francis, striking out seven batters in five innings.

After this performance and others like it this season, Penn State feels confident going into this weekend.

"They are a very good team," Accordino said. "They have great hitters and pitchers, and they play solid defense. But it's nothing we haven't seen or beat before."