VERMILLION, S.D. - The quest for the first Summit League win for IUPUI continues as the Jags lost both games of a double header against South Dakota today (April 9). The Jags ended up on the wrong side of both a pitching duel and a slugfest on a cold, windy day in southeast South Dakota.

South Dakota 4 - IUPUI 1

The first game of the afternoon saw the bats as cold as the temperature outside as the windchill was below freezing at first pitch. The first hit of the game for either team was in the top of the third when Alyssa Neff singled up the middle but was stranded on first.

In the bottom of the inning, South Dakota (11-26, 6-2 Summit) singled and then had a batter hit by a pitch by Brooke Boetjer. The next batter, Jessica Rogers, doubled down the left field line and brought home both runners to give the Coyotes the 2-0 lead.

The Coyotes extended the lead in the bottom of the fifth after loading the bases on three singles. With two outs, a hard ground ball to third was not able to be corralled by Taylor Chitwood and the third run came across. The next batter was walked by Boetjer and the fourth run of the game touched home for South Dakota. 

IUPUI (10-24, 0-7 Summit) finally got through against Coyote starter Madison Frain in the top of the sixth. After a walk to Neff, back to back singles by Morgan Schlobohm and Ali Mosier loaded the bases. Chitwood grounded to short but beat out the double play which allowed the Neff to come home but Maggie Good struck out to end the threat. 

The Jags had a chance to try to tie the game in the seventh as the first two batters of the inning walked but a pop out to second, a fly out to center and a strikeout ended the game.

South Dakota 10 - IUPUI 9

As the afternoon heated up so did the bats as Boetjer and Frain both gave way to the second pitchers in the rotations. The teams combined for nine hits in the first game but both teams surpassed that number in game number two.

The Jags started things off well after Ali Mosier walked to lead off the game. Two batters later, Taylor Chitwood hit a deep shot to left field for her sixth home run of the season and give the Jags a 2-0 lead. 

Nickole Finch started off well for the Jags getting three straight outs after a leadoff walk but things changed in the bottom of the second inning. Two straight doubles to left field led to the first run of the game for South Dakota. Two batters later a single tied up the game at two. Later in the inning, an error by Roni Patterson at third base allowed the third run of the game to score.

In the top of the third, the Jags tied the game up on a sacrifice fly by Patterson that scored Morgan Schlobohm.

Things got worse for the Jags in the bottom of the third. South Dakota loaded the bases with one out. A single to right field brought home the first run of the inning. Kaitlynn Moody relieved Finch and was greeted with a single up the middle to bring home another run. The next batter was hit by a pitch and the Coyotes got their third run to cross the plate. Later in the inning a ground ball up the middle was stopped by Schlobohm on a diving stop but her flip to second was not in time and two runs came across the plate to make it a five-run inning for the Coyotes.

The Jags tried to battle back in the fourth with back-to-back home runs to left field from Sarah Lawrence and Maggie Good to lead off the inning. Alyssa Neff walked in the next at bat and moved to second with two outs but Chitwood struck out to end the inning. In the top of the fifth the Jags added another run after Ashley Ousley singled with two outs. Lawrence was hit by a pitch and Good reached after the second baseman dropped the ball on a pop fly and Ousley scored.

Each time the Jags scored though, the Coyotes had an answer, scoring one run in both the fourth and fifth innings and taking a 10-6 lead in to the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth, Mosier got things started with double to the left center field wall. Schlobohm grounded to first but moved Mosier over and Chitwood hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Mosier to make it 10-7. The inning continued with a solo home run by Moody to deep dead center field to bring the Jags within two. Patterson walked to keep things going and Ousley had her third hit of the game to left center. Lawrence singled to short to load the bases and after a pitching change, a wild pitch brought home Patterson to make it a one run game. With the tying run sixty feet away, Good grounded out to second to end the inning.

After Boetjer entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and held South Dakota off the board to keep the Jags down one with three outs to play. Mosier had a one out single to get a runner on and moved to second on a Chitwood walk with two outs. Moody stepped to the plate with two outs and the tying run at second but struck out looking to end the game and send the Jags to an eighth straight loss.