Macomb, Ill - It was night and day for the IUPUI offense on Saturday. Joy Perry's five hits in game one tied her for most hits in a game in school history. Perry and the rest of the squad racked up 21 hits and 24 runs in the opener, but managed just five hits and were blanked 4-0 in game two of a doubleheader against Western Illinois.
Game One - Box Score
Offense was running rampant in game one. The Jaguars happened to be a little better, outlasting the Leathernecks 24-20.
Perry got her record day started with a two-run single with two outs in the second. Chelsie Hale connected on her sixth home run of the season to give the Jaguars a 4-0 lead.
The lead was short lived as the Leathernecks put up a five-spot in the bottom half. Nikki Marinec hit a two-run shot and three batters later Briana Goss hit a three-run home run to take a 5-4 lead.
Western Illinois' lead was as short lived as IUPUI's. IUPUI scored nine in the inning to go ahead 13-5. Alicia Brewer's two-run homer took the lead back. Cherrod Gwaltney had an RBI-single and walked in her second at bat of the inning. That walk forced in a run. Jessica Lam had an RBI-single and was able to successfully execute a double steal with Nikki Thomas. Perry drove in her third run of the game and stole home on the second double steal of the inning.
Thomas walked in her second at bat of the inning to drive in the frame's ninth run.
But, the offense went back and forth. Western Illinois' Erin Schlotfeldt delivered the big blow in the team's six-run third inning with a bases-clearing triple.
IUPUI (10-16, 5-4 Summit) answered with seven more in the top of the fourth. Brewer hit her second homer of the game and Perry collected her fourth and fifth RBI of the game with a single. The seven runs gave IUPUI a 20-11 lead.
Schlotfeldt's two-run homer helped Western Illinois match IUPUI's seven spot in the top half of the inning.
The Jaguars pounded out four more runs in the top of the sixth. Hale and senior Amy Raker drove in runs and Julie Love joined the party with a two-run single to put the Jaguars up six.
The Leathernecks ( added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Raker worked a scoreless seventh to secure the victory.
Raker picked up the win in relief of Thomas.
IUPUI's 21 hits is one short of the IUPUI record for hits in a game.
Game Two - Box Score
IUPUI's offense went stagnant in the rubber match.
The Jaguars wasted an opportunity to get on the board in the first. Lam singled then Hale reached on an error. A walk to Leah Prewitt loaded the bases with one out. Western Illinois' hurler Hailey Bickford, who threw a complete game shutout, got Raker to ground in to a fielder's choice to force Lam at the plate. She fanned Brewer to get out of the frame.
Western Illinois got on the board with an unearned run off of Raker, IUPUI's starting pitcher.
The defense let Raker down again in the third as two errors led to two more Leatherneck runs putting the Jaguars down 3-0.
IUPUI squandered its best chance to score in the fourth inning. Raker doubled then Brewer reached on an error advancing Raker to third. Brewer was caught stealing for the first out of the inning. Love flew out for the second out. Gwaltney and Thomas walked, but Bickford escaped by striking Perry out.
The Leathernecks added one more run in the sixth and that's how the game finished.
IUPUI will return to action on Tuesday in Cleveland with a doubleheader against Cleveland State scheduled to begin at 3 pm.
