INDIANAPOLIS – In search of its first home Summit League series win in two years, the IUPUI softball team got a terrific performance in the circle from Emili Escamilla and timely RBI's from Roni Patterson and Eryn Dillon to give IUPUI a 2-1 extra-inning victory over South Dakota State Sunday afternoon at the IUPUI Softball Complex.
 
The Jags are now 2-1 to start Summit League play and 16-7 overall. South Dakota State is 6-12 overall and 1-2 in league play.
 
SDSU's Ashlyn Bender and Escamilla were in a pitcher's duel from the outset on Sunday with Bender throwing a no-hitter through the first five innings. IUPUI managed to only put three runners on base in the first five frames with two reaching via Jackrabbits errors and the other by a walk.
 
Meanwhile, Escamilla worked around a pair of two out doubles in the first inning and fourth inning without giving up a run keeping her offense in it while they tried to get something going against Bender.
 
In the sixth, a crazy set of plays led to the Jackrabbits scoring the first run of the game. With one out in the inning and Escamilla a strike away from getting the second out, Devan Larsen fought back to draw a walk. Larsen moved to second on a passed ball, before scoring a few pitches later when Elyse Eitel struck out on a pitch in the dirt and the ensuing throw down to first base glanced off the glove of Taylor Chitwood allowing Eitel to reach base. Another passed ball put Eitel in scoring position, but a strike out and a fly out limited the Jacks damage to just one run.
 
The Jaguars got that run back in its half of the sixth and it all started with Ali Mosier lining a double over the center fielder's head to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Patterson sent a soft tailing liner just inside the right field line for a double of her own to score Mosier and even things up at 1-1. IUPUI was in prime position to take the lead, but two consecutive strikeouts kept the score tied heading into the seventh.
 
Both Escamilla and Bender retired the opposition in order in the seventh to send the game to extra innings, and in the top of the eighth Escamilla set down the heart of the SDSU lineup in order to give her offense a chance.
 
Morgan Schlobohm put pressure on the Jackrabbits defense lining a double off the SDSU third baseman to start the inning, and a walk to Mosier put two on with nobody out. A productive ground out to the right side from Delilah Wright moved Schlobohm and Mosier up to third and second base, respectively, forcing South Dakota State to intentionally walk Patterson to load the bases. On the next pitch, Dillon lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field, which was plenty deep enough to score Schlobohm from third completing the walk-off win.
 
Escamilla went all eight innings giving up two hits and one run, which was unearned, and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts as she improved to 5-1.
 
In her two outings this weekend, Escamilla totaled 15.0 innings of work and posted an ERA of 0.47 with 18 strikeouts.
 
IUPUI continues its homestand on Tuesday, March 24, when hosts a doubleheader at the IUPUI Softball Complex against UIC. Game 1 is set to start at 3 p.m.