Game #1 Box Score | Game #2 Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI softball team resumed its slugging ways on Saturday, blasting two three-run homers to fuel a 9-2 win over North Dakota State on Saturday to split the day's doubleheader.  The Jaguars fell, 4-2, in the opener of the twinbill.

With the doubleheader split, the Jaguars claimed the series, 2-1, over the defending Summit League champions.

In game one, IUPUI (6-19, 3-6 Summit) could not muster enough runs as starter Samantha Bumbaugh held the North Dakota State (19-14, 4-2 Summit) attack at bay.  Bumbaugh scatted 10 hits in her 3.2 innings of work, giving up just two earned runs.

The Bison struck early in game one, using a Melissa Chmielewski single to put a tally on the board; NDSU would open a 3-0 lead in the fourth, chasing Bumbaugh, before the Jaguars found their offense in the latter stages of the game.

Chelsie Hale started the IUPUI rally in the fifth, walking and advancing on a passed ball.  Joy Perry slapped a ball off the third baseman a batter later, allowing Hale to scamper home with the Jags' first run.

Though the Bison would answer with a lone run in the sixth, the Jaguars gave themselves a chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the seventh.  Alicia Hayes blasted a homer to center, trimming the deficit to two, and Sydney Miller reached on a one-out error by the Bison shortstop.  

However, NDSU starter Whitney Johnson recorded the last two of her 12 strikeouts to end the game.

In game two, the Bison kept Johnson on the mound to start, and the Jaguars greeted her just as rudely as they did a day prior, putting up five runs on NDSU before an out was recorded in the bottom of the first.

Mia Ettl led off the inning by reaching on a wild pitch before Kelsey Rupert singled to the pitchers circle, and both runners advanced when NDSU's second baseman could not handle the throw from Johnson.  Leah Prewitt followed with a smash to center field to plate both Ettl and Rupert, giving the Jags an early 2-0 cushion.

Amy Raker walked to put runners on first and second for Hayes, who promptly blasted a no-doubt-about-it three-run shot to left, opening a 5-0 lead for IUPUI for the second straight day.

For Hayes, it was her third homerun in as many games; for the series, she finished 3-for-9 with 3 homeruns and 7 RBI.

The five runs were more than enough for Raker, who tossed the game's first 3.2 innings before Nicole Natter came on with 0.2 innings of relief to pick up the win.

By the time Raker left the pitchers' circle, the Jaguars led 8-0, using another three-run bomb, this time off the bat of Laura Wilcox.  The senior crushed an offering from Randi Parks deep to center, nearly putting the game out of reach.

A Perry RBI double closed the scoring for IUPUI, and Bumbaugh struck out six of the eight outs she recorded to close the game.

The Jaguars will be back in action on Tuesday, March 30, when they host Ball State.  First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET from the IUPUI Softball Complex.