INDIANAPOLIS – Going through their final tune-up of the fall season, the IUPUI softball team (3-3) finished a cross-town doubleheader Saturday (Oct. 8) with a split, defeating St. Francis 5-2 before falling to host Butler 2-1.  The split leaves the Jags with a .500 record for the fall season, as the team will officially begin the Heather Tarter era in the spring.
 
In the victory against St. Francis, Delaney Thompson knocked a two-run double to break open the scoring.  Three-time All-Summit League selection Roni Patterson led all hitters with two, as the Jags combined to pick up 12 hits in the game.  Nickole Finch started the afternoon in the circle for the Jags, tossing four strong innings before giving way to Erica Tharp who finished the game with three innings of work.
 
The afternoon contest against Butler started with Tharp taking to the circle for IUPUI.  Despite giving up a run in the first inning, Tharp would refocus her efforts and throw three scoreless after the first frame, finishing with a four-inning performance.  Finch finished the game with three innings of work, giving up just one run in the process.  The Jags logged their only run of the game on a wild-pitch that plated Jessica Lauret.  Lauret pinch-ran for Taylor Chitwood, who picked up a hit to lead off the inning.  After a sacrifice by Thompson moved the runner into scoring position, the Jags made the switch to Lauret.
 
The Jags will now look to the official spring season to resume playing, as Coach Tarter will continue to tweak her lineup in preparation for the new season.  IUPUI is coming off a season in which the team advanced to its first-ever championship game in the Summit League Tournament, eventually falling to regular-season champions of the Summit League, North Dakota State. 
 
Four seniors will begin their final campaigns as collegiate student-athletes, as Patterson, Taylor Chitwood, Maggie Good, and Alyssa Matson will lead the team into action.  The team features six freshman players making their debuts in 2017, as well as a Division I transfer in Adison Lorsung. 
 
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