Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI softball team failed to get their bats going as they dropped both games of Friday’s Summit League doubleheader to Southern Utah Friday at the IUPUI Softball complex.

The losses dropped the Jags record to 10-25 overall and 2-11 in conference play, while Southern Utah improved to 22-15 overall and 10-4 in league action.

Game 1 – Southern Utah 3, IUPUI 1 – Box Score (.pdf) | Box Score

It didn’t look good for the Jaguars early as Southern Utah loaded the bases in the first and the third innings. The Thunderbirds had one out and the bases loaded in the first, but Jocelyn Oppenhuis registered back-to-back strikeouts to leave three SUU runners stranded.

In the third, Southern Utah again loaded the bases, but Oppenhuis won a lengthy 10-pitch, two-out at-bat with Haylee Hoch on a swinging strikeout keeping the game scoreless.

In the sixth however, the Thunderbirds struck when Kadi Henderson delivered a two-run home run over the left field wall lifting Southern Utah to a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, the Thunderbirds tacked on another run on a RBI double from Tessa Loewen increasing their margin to three runs.

Entering its final at-bat with just one hit in the game, Kelsey Rupert and Ashley Seering started the seventh with back-to-back singles starting a late rally. Following a walk to Eryn Dillon to load the bases, Jessica Lam brought home Rupert on a fielder’s choice that eliminated Seering but kept runners on first and second with one out. Despite bringing the winning run to the plate twice, a strikeout and ground out ensued giving the Thunderbirds the 3-1 win.

Game 2 – Southern Utah 3, IUPUI 1 – Box Score (.pdf) | Box Score

In the second game, it looked like IUPUI would strike first in the third inning as Nikki Thomas reached on a single with one out to put a runner on. On the next pitch, Nicole Checkie drilled a ball in the gap in left-center field and Thomas tried to score all the way from first but was thrown out on a perfect relay throw. Even though Checkie moved to third on the throw home, a ground out during the following at-bat ended the threat.

Just as an opportunity slipped past IUPUI, Southern Utah capitalized on one in the top of the fourth. A lead-off double was followed by a sharply lined single to deep center allowing the runner to score. Following a ground out, another single up the middle scored another run upping the Thunderbirds lead to 2-0.

Following another Southern Utah run in the fifth, the Jags got that run back in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of a Seering RBI single that plated Thomas, who singled to lead off the inning.

After a 1-2-3 seventh for Southern Utah, the Jags looked to make a rally in their final at-bat but that fell short as they dropped another 3-1 decision.

The Jags and Thunderbirds conclude their three-game set on Saturday, April 7, at Noon ET.