Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - Senior catcher Alicia Hayes homered for the fourth straight game and the IUPUI softball team belted three longballs, but Ball State outslugged the hosts 11-4 at the on-campus Softball Complex on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals pounded out 13 hits that also included three homers in the victory.

BSU (20-6) took immediate control of the contest, scoring one in the top of the first and seven times in the top of the second frame. Amanda Montalto had a key two-run double during the rally and the Cardinals were able to take advantage of two IUPUI (6-20) errors in sending 11 batters to the plate. 

IUPUI chipped two runs off the lead in the bottom half when freshman Sydney Miller roped a two-out opposite field double and senior Laura Wilcox followed with a towering two-run homer to right-center, making it 8-2. Fellow senior Mia Ettl led off the third with a monstrous solo shot down the right field line, making it 8-3, but BSU responded with two runs in the top of the fourth. 

Hayes capped IUPUI's scoring with a solo shot to left-center with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ettl went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot in the Jaguars' batting order as the Jaguars left just one runner on base in defeat. Wilcox's homer was her third in four games and gave her back-to-back multi-RBI outings for the first time this season.

Montalto went 2-for-4 with three RBI and third baseman Jessie Ware was 2-for-4 with two homers that included an inside-the-park job in the fourth. Ware skied a fly ball to right-center where both Wilcox and Joy Perry converged on the play. However, the ball fell untouched between the two and Wilcox slipped when picking it up, allowing the BSU cleanup batter to circle the bases.

Elizabeth Milian (14-1) struck out eight batters in four innings in the win while freshman Nicole Natter (2-6) was saddled with the loss. Sophomore Samantha Bumbaugh struck out six in six innings of relief work. 

IUPUI will return to action tomorrow when it heads up Interstate-65 to take on in-state foe Purdue in West Lafayette at 3:00 p.m.. Live stats and live audio will be provided by the hosts and available via the web for tomorrow's doubleheader.