KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the final day of the regular season, the IUPUI softball team (17-33, 4-12) fell victim to bad breaks and the oft-unforgiving nature of the sport, losing the rubber match against the University of Missouri-Kansas City (24-24, 10-5), 1-4, Saturday (May 7). The Jaguars consistently hit the ball hard, but only had six hits to their credit.
Ali Mosier led her team offensively once again, going 2-for-4 with a solo homerun. She finished the series 5-for-12 with two homers.
The Roos struck first, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning on a throwing error that extended the frame. The Jaguars would answer back with a run of their own in the top of the third, as Mosier launched her team-leading 11th homerun of the season with two outs, putting IUPUI on the scoreboard. In the bottom half, an RBI single by UMKC plated another run, extending the lead back to two.
A prime example of the misfortune that plagued IUPUI on the day, the top of the second inning featured a leadoff line out by
Maggie Good to the hot corner to start the frame. After a double by Patterson,
Kristin London unleashed the second laser beam to the left side, which was once again snagged by the third baseman. Next batter up,
Maggie Armstrong sent a screamer to the left side straight at the Roos' shortstop which was pulled in for the third line out of the inning.
The Jags' bats would fall silent until the sixth inning, when Mosier and Good both picked up singles in the inning. However, with runners at first and second, a groundball to the left side would be picked up for a fielder's choice force out at third base, ending the threat.
In the top of the seventh inning, Armstrong and
Sarah Lawrence both reach on a walk and a single, respectively, to put two aboard with only one out. They'd be stranded there however, as the next batter popped up in foul territory, followed by a strikeout on a close call to end the game.
The Jaguars will next play either Western Illinois or South Dakota in the first round of the Summit League Tournament Wednesday (May 11) in Fargo, North Dakota. Follow IUPUIJags.com for updates and schedule announcements.
