Game #1 Box Score I Game #2 Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - After the IUPUI softball team was seemingly overmatched in game one of its doubleheader with IPFW on Friday evening, the Jaguars rebounded with a come-from-behind 7-6 win in the nightcap to salvage a split and keep them in the thick of the chase for a Summit League Tournament berth. Junior Amy Raker smacked her first homerun of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and tossed a complete game in the circle in the victory. 

IUPUI (14-35, 9-11 Summit) was trailing 4-0 entering the home half of the third inning before it finally found some offensive life. Senior Alicia Hayes and sophomore Leah Prewitt led off with back-to-back singles, but were unable to advance when Chelsie Hale popped up her sacrifice bunt attempt. Senior Mia Ettl picked up her teammate though by drilling a three-run homer over the fence in right field, ending IPFW (25-17, 14-6) starter Courtney Cronin's day. Rachel Staschuk fought through some wildness to keep IUPUI off the scoreboard and retain IPFW's 4-3 lead. 

The Mastodons added a run in the top of the fourth to make it 5-3, but IUPUI battled back to tie the game in the bottom half. With two outs, Prewitt rolled a single through the left side and wheeled home when Hale drove a towering double to left. IPFW leftfielder Sarah Swanson had the ball hit her glove, but was unable to hold it as she made contact with the fence as the ball arrived. Ettl followed with a single to right, allowing Hale to score the game-tying run. 

IPFW used four singles to make it 6-5 in the top of the sixth, but again, the Jaguars tied the game in the bottom half. Senior Alicia Hayes skied a one-out gift double that landed between three IPFW defensive players, all of whom could have made the catch. After Prewitt struck out swinging, Hale tomahawked a double to left-center to tie the score. With a base open, IPFW opted to walk Ettl intentionally and Staschuk followed by getting Wilcox to strike out on a high fastball to end the inning. 

Raker (4-4) saw IPFW load the bases in the top of the seventh on a pair of singles and an intentional walk, but Ettl made a diving stop on Sara Hopwood's grounder up the middle and turned it into a force out at second to end the inning. Raker wasted little time in ending it in the bottom half, driving a low fastball just over the centerfield fence for the game winner. 

Prewitt went 3-for-4 for the Jags and Hayes, Hale, Ettl and Raker had two hits each. Ettl drove in a season-high four runs and Hayes scored twice from the No. 2 spot in the batting order. Swanson led the IPFW batting order, going 3-for-4. 

Raker struck out five and walked four in just her second complete game of the season. Staschuk (6-3) took the loss in relief and struck out six in 3.2 innings work. 

Game one was dominated by Cronin (16-9) as the IPFW righty tossed a complete game two-hitter in a 9-0 five inning win.

IPFW scored three times in the top of the first on a Cassie Wolfe three-run homer off sophomore starter Samantha Bumbaugh and never looked back. The 'Dons scored three more times in the top of the fourth and ended any suspense with a three-run fifth. Wolfe led off the fifth with her second homer of the game and later scored an unearned run, fueled by freshman pitcher Nicole Natter's throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. 

Offensively, IUPUI could only muster a Laura Wilcox second inning single and Hale's bunt hit with one out in the fourth. The only time an IUPUI baserunner got past first base was in the third inning when Sydney Miller reached on an error, was erased on Joy Perry's fielder's choice, who then took second on Kelsey Rupert's sac bunt. 

Cronin struck out three and faced just three batters above the minimum 15. Wolfe was 3-for-3 with four RBI from the No. 5 spot in the batting order. 

The same two teams will conclude the three-game set on Saturday with first pitch slated for noon from the IUPUI Softball Complex. Live stats will be available via IUPUIJags.com.