Game #1 Box Score I Game #2 Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. - The IUPUI softball team's early season offensive struggles continued on Friday as the Jaguars dropped a pair of games at the Sixth Annual Georgia Softball Classic. Despite rapping out seven hits, the Jaguars struggled to plate runs in the opening game of the three-day event, falling to Marshall, 4-2. IUPUI squandered opportunities to score early and was unable to close the gap late at the UGA Softball Stadium.

In the afternoon, IUPUI (0-6) came up on the short end of an 8-0 mercy rule decision to Tennessee State.

Marshall (6-4), led by former IUPUI Head Coach Shonda Stanton, plated a run in the top of the first when Alianna Telles singled and later scored on a fielding error. IUPUI put runners on first and third with no outs in the bottom half, but had both erased when Mia Ettl was caught stealing second and Sarah Oppelt left early from third during the same at bat. 

In the second, Amy Raker led off with a double but pinch runner Kristine Grohnke was caught stealing third to thwart the rally. 

IUPUI finally scratched in the third., starting the threat when freshman Leah Prewitt was plunked and Cassie Harvey followed with a bunt single. Twin sister Cayleigh Harvey loaded the sacks with a single through the middle, but the Jaguars got just one run on Ettl's ground ball two batters later.  

Marshall got three straight hits off IUPUI starter Jessica McGown (0-2) in the fourth inning, capped by Melanie Stoehr's RBI double, making it 3-1.

The Jaguars got within one in the fifth when Raker singled home Oppelt, but Stoehr responded with a solo homer in the sixth to cap the game's scoring. Stoehr went 2-for-3 as the Herd posted 10 hits. 

Raker was 2-for-3 for the Jaguars. 

"We hit the ball well and just made some baserunning errors in the first couple innings that made a difference in the game," IUPUI Head Coach Maggie Calcaterra said. #We didn't hit the ball later in the game or get the key hit when we needed it.

"It was encouraging though."

McGown worked six innings, striking out five and giving up four runs (all earned). Raker tossed a scoreless seventh in relief, thanks largely to catcher Cassie Harvey gunning down two would-be base stealers at second. Marshall's Caitlyn Jackson (2-2) struck out four in the win. 

Game two was a pitching duel in the early going as Raker and TSU's Caitlin Eaton hung goose eggs on the opposition until the bottom of the fourth inning. 

Eaton helped her own cause, leading off the frame with a solo homer to right to break up Raker's shutout. Christy Hill later drilled an RBI double to chase Raker with one out in the fourth. After Samantha Bumbaugh escaped further damage, things quickly came unraveled in the fifth. 

Tennessee State (3-0) sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame and took advantage of two IUPUI errors to plate six runs. Tamara Perkins started the rally with a two-run homer and Hill later drilled a two-run single to right. 

Hill was 2-for-3 with three RBI from the No. 8 spot in the lineup as eight different players scored runs for the victors. 

Raker (0-2) took the defeat, giving up two runs (one earned) in 3.1 innings work. Eaton was dominant for TSU, retiring all 15 IUPUI batters in order in a shortened perfect game. She fanned seven to improve to 2-0 on the season. 

"We just didn't hit the ball or make the adjustments we needed to make," Calcaterra said. 

IUPUI will take on UNC Greensboro at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow before playing No. 16 Georgia under the lights at 7:00 p.m.. Live stats for both games can be seen by clicking here. On Sunday, the Jaguars will take on Ball State before returning to Indianapolis.