Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 VERMILLION, S.D. – The IUPUI softball team was dealt a pair of conference losses Friday as South Dakota scored two runs in the sixth inning in Game 1 to earn a win, before striking with a run in extra innings to secure a doubleheader sweep of the Jags.

The losses dipped the Jaguars overall record to 7-20, while its Summit League mark fell to 1-7.

Game 1 – Box Score (.pdf) | Box Score

South Dakota led off the first with a single, but after that Jocelyn Oppenhuis kept the Coyotes off-balance retiring 15 of the Coyotes next 16 batters.

Meanwhile, the Jags had a runner on second with less than two outs in the second and fourth innings, but they failed to convert in both innings. However, the Jags best opportunity to score came in the sixth.

Aundria Basquez led the sixth off with a double to left field, before moving to third on a single by Nicole Checkie. Unfortunately, two ground outs to the left side didn’t allow Basquez the opportunity to score and those outs were followed by a ground out to second base ending the inning.

Just as the threat ended, South Dakota struck with a two-RBI single in its half of the sixth to jump on top, 2-0.

In the seventh, IUPUI went down in order to secure the 2-0 victory for the Coyotes.

Game 2 – Box Score (.pdf) | Box Score

The Jaguars struck first in Game 2 thanks in part to a lead-off triple in the second inning off the bat of Jenny Royse. It didn’t take long for Royse to score as a single from Ashley Seering plated Royse giving the Jags a 1-0 lead.

IUPUI tacked on another run in the third as Checkie started things off with a single and moved to second base on an errant throw during a fielder’s choice placing runners on first and second with nobody out. Following a successful sacrifice bunt, Checkie scored on a sacrifice fly from Angela Bartucci, doubling the Jaguars lead.

The Coyotes got on the board in the fourth using a wild pitch and a trio of extra base hits to score three runs, catapulting USD in front, 3-2.

Bartucci delivered a clutch RBI in the fifth to tie the score at three, but an IUPUI error in the bottom of the fifth led to a Coyotes run placing them back in front, 4-3.

The Jags fought back again in the sixth using a Seering single, a fielder’s choice, and a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Basquez delivered a sacrifice fly that was deep enough to score Seering, knotting the score again at four.

USD had an opportunity to end things in the seventh with runners on first and third with one out, but Nikki Thomas forced a ground out to Royse and she delivered a throw home that beat the runner keeping the Jags alive. Then with runners on first and second with two outs, Thomas struck out the next batter to send the game into extra innings.

The Jags had an opportunity to take the lead in the eighth when Royse found herself on second base due to a throwing error to lead off the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt, Royse stood on third giving her teammates two opportunities to drive her in, but a pop out and a strike out ended the threat.

In the bottom of the eighth, two walks intertwined with a strikeout, a sacrifice bunt, and a passed ball put runners on the corners with two outs. Unfortunately for IUPUI, an error that would have kept the game going allowed a runner to score handing the Coyotes the 5-4 extra-inning victory.

Checkie and Seering each posted a team-best two hits, while Bartucci drove in a team-high two runs.

IUPUI and South Dakota conclude their three-game set on Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m. ET.