Game 1 I Game 2

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI softball team's recent home field struggles continued on Friday night as the Jaguars dropped a pair of Summit League contests to IPFW. The Jags lost the opener 14-6 in six innings before falling in the nightcap 7-4. 

Senior Jenna Crockett provided an offensive bright spot, going 5-for-7 in the two games and connecting for her first homerun of the 2008 campaign. 

Game #1 - IPFW 14, IUPUI 6 (6 inn.)
In game one, the Jaguars fell victim to the big inning as the Mastodons jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and never looked back. After Meaghan Raynes set the 'Dons down in order in the first inning, the visitors struck for seven runs and six hits in the top of the second inning, capped by Rachel Staschuk's three-run homer over the centerfield fence. 

IUPUI trimmed two runs off the 'Dons lead in the fourth as Crockett and freshman Amy Raker roped RBI singles, but IPFW answered with two runs in the top of the fifth and five more in the top of the sixth to put the game away. 

Amanda Olender drilled a grand slam in the five-run sixth inning to cap IPFW's scoring. 

The bottom two spots in IPFW's batting order, Olender and Kayla Powell, combined to drive in 10 runs in the game one victory. 

The Jags scored four times in the bottom of the sixth, keyed by Cayleigh Harvey's ground rule double to right. After Harvey's double, a throwing error led to two unearned runs and the last one came home on a wild pitch. 

As a team, IPFW had 12 hits to help overcome four defensive errors. 

Staschuk (3-6) struck out nine and walked three in the compete game victory. Raynes (3-6) gave up seven runs in 1.1 innings work while Raker allowed seven over the final 4.2 innings. 

Game #2 - IPFW 7, IUPUI 4
In game two, IUPUI gave up five unanswered runs over the final two innings, letting IPFW rally from a 4-2 deficit to a 7-4 win and a doubleheader sweep. 

IUPUI (4-20, 1-10 Summit) built a 3-2 lead in the third inning when Crockett lined a home run to straight away center field, scoring junior Amanda Mackey in front of her. The Jags added some insurance in the fourth thanks to some shoddy IPFW defense. 

Freshman Stacy Harte reached on a one-out single, bringing fellow rookie Chelsie Hale to the plate. Hale dropped a bunt back to pitcher Kayla Powell, who immediately whirled to second, but had her throw glance off Harte's helmet and roll all the way to the centerfield fence. Harte to scored easily and Hale raced around to third on the miscue.

Unfortunately, some shoddy IUPUI defense squandered a strong pitching performance from sophomore Jessica McGown and allowed IPFW (10-17, 4-5 Summit) to tie the game in the sixth inning. 

After the first two batters reached to lead off the sixth, Ty Lambert hit a routine ground to Raker at third, who misplayed the easy chance, allowing a run to score and runners to end up on first and second. McGown (1-7) nearly worked out of the jam, getting a pop out and a strikeout before Katy Stephens came to the plate. 

Stephens slapped a grounder to Harte at shortstop, who became distracted when Kristina Karpun arrived at the same time as the ball did. The ball glanced off Harte's glove into shallow left field, allowing Karpun to score without a throw. 

The seventh inning began ominously also as the first two batters reached on a single and a walk. Mickelson followed by smashing a single through the left side, but the ball went right through Hale's legs, allowing two more runs to come home. 

IPFW added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Mickelson. 

IUPUI got the tying run to the plate in the seventh before Olender (4-8) got back-to-back ground outs to end the game. 

Olender worked three innings in relief to get the win while Powell struck out two in four innings. McGown had five punchouts in six innings work while Lea Corcoran pitched a scoreless inning in relief. 

Crockett was 4-for-4 and Mackey had two hits for the Jags. 

The same two teams will return to action tomorrow for the series finale, beginning at noon.