Game 1 Box Score I Game 2 Box Score
PEKIN, Ill. - The IUPUI came up just short, dropping its season-opener to Bradley in the Country Inn & Suites Bradley Softball Invitational at the Dragon's Dome. The Jaguars fell behind 5-0 before scoring twice in the top of the seventh in a 5-2 loss. IUPUI was dumped in game two by Iowa State, 10-0.
"We're young - we started two freshman pitchers today," IUPUI Head Coach Maggie Calcaterra said. "I told the girls, it was a learning experience today. We're still a work in progress since these games don't mean much in what we're trying to do in terms of conference play."
Bradley scored twice off IUPUI freshman starter Samantha Bumbaugh (0-1) in the bottom of the second, capped by Julie Sherman's RBI single. The Braves added two more in the third on Jackie Roth's two-run double to the gap in left-center. Trailing 5-0, the Jaguars broke up Bradley starter Katie Dennis' (1-0) no-hit bid in the fifth, getting back-to-back one-out singles from Laura Wilcox and Sarah Oppelt.
Both were left stranded though as Dennis induced a pop out and ground out from IUPUI's one and two hitters.
IUPUI finally got on the board in the seventh when Cayleigh Harvey drew a one-out bases loaded walk and Mia Ettl followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Wilcox.
Oppelt went 2-for-2 with a run scored as IUPUI managed just four hits off Dennis. The Bradley starter registered just one strikeout and walked three in the complete game victory. Bumbaugh yielded five runs in 3.2 innings work.
Sophomore Amy Raker tossed 2.1 hitless innings in relief, allowing just one walk.
In the second game, IUPUI (0-2) played Iowa State evenly for two frames before the Cyclones busted out for 10 runs in two innings to end the game by mercy rule. ISU roughed up freshman hurler Lauren Popov for two runs in the third before the Cyclones unloaded with eight in the fourth.
Leadoff batter Kelsey Kidwell capped her 2-for-3 day with a three-run triple to right, unloading the bases. She later scored on an infield single and Alex Johnson drilled a two-run double to left-center.
Offensively, the Jaguars had just three hits off ISU starter Rachel Zabriskie, who fanned three batters in the win. Amy McCoy went 2-for-2 from the eight hole in the IUPUI lineup including her first career double.
"Tomorrow we'll have a little more experience on the mound, which is obviously a good thing," Calcaterra said.
IUPUI will wrap up play in the two-day event by taking on Wright State at 10:00 a.m. and Western Illinois at 4:00 p.m..
