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ROSEMONT, Ill. – Continuing action at the Total Control Sports Invitational, the IUPUI softball team (0-2) showed a tremendous amount of fight and poise in what was a mostly competitive 6-9 loss to the Loyola Ramblers (1-0) Friday evening (Feb. 10).  A six-run fifth inning ultimately doomed the Jags, despite scoring three runs of their own in the seventh.
 
Nickole Finch flashed signs of big potential as the leftie was charged with the loss after tossing 3.2 innings and giving up three earned runs.  Finch surrendered four hits with four walks while striking out four in the contest.  Maggie Armstrong had a rough showing in just two-thirds of an inning of work, giving up five earned runs and six total, all of which came during the fifth inning.  Erica Tharp returned after the complete game earlier in the day, throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless ball. 
 
With a different lineup and starting pitcher from the first game, the Jags quickly generated a scoring opportunity as Alyssa Matson walked on the very first at-bat.  She moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, then moved to third base with a ground out two batters later.  She was stranded at the final station however, as a groundout ended the threat.
 
The bottom of the inning quickly got away from IUPUI, as a single, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a double plated a pair of runs for Loyola.  A 1-2-3 top of the second inning erased any chance for a quick response from the Jaguar offense, but it appeared IUPUI was poised to break through with their first runs in the third inning.  After a one-out double by Mandy Dallas followed by a second runner reaching base on a fielding error, the Jags pushed runners to second and third on a stolen base by Matson.  Once again, runners were stranded on base, as a pop up ended the threat for the Jags.
 
Finch shut down a threat by the Ramblers in the bottom of the inning with timely pitching.  A fielding error and a walk gave Loyola runners at first and second base with no outs.  Finch would induce a strikeout followed by a fly-out to steal the momentum away from the Ramblers.  Trouble looked like it might be brewing as both runners were able to advance on a wild pitch, but Finch came through with her second strikeout of the inning to turn the Ramblers away.
 
After a groundout, back-to-back singles by Roni Patterson and Maggie Good put the Jags in business, as Patterson was able to advance to third base on a fly-out by the next batter.  That's when Sabrina Trevino came up with her first career hit, a two-run double that scored both baserunners and tied the game for the Jags.
 
The Ramblers returned volley in the bottom of the fourth, as Finch forced a pop-up and recorded a strikeout before trouble set in.  A pair of walks and a stolen base set up the Ramblers with a runner in scoring position, as a ground-rule double down the left field line brought home the go-ahead run for Loyola.  That's when a pitching change brought in Armstrong, who induced a groundout to the first batter to escape the jam. 
 
The wheels came off the bus for IUPUI in the next inning, as the offense couldn't manage anything in the top-half followed by a disastrous bottom-half.  An error and two singles loaded the bases for Loyola with no outs, as a single down the right field line plated a pair of runs.  A bunt single scored another run, followed by a double that pushed across another pair.  Another single proved to be salt in an already gaping wound, as the Ramblers made it six runs in the inning with only one out.  Tharp came on in relief and recorded a pair of outs to extend the game's life. 
 
The Jags still put up a fight following the Ramblers' outburst however, as Taylor Chitwood recorded her first hit of the new season, a triple, to give IUPUI a runner in scoring position.  She'd come in to score on an RBI groundout by Good.  After the Jags completed a scoreless bottom half to the sixth, things got noisy before the game came to an end.  Trevino singled to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Mandy Dallas to put runners on first and second.  A walk issued to Delilah Wright loaded the bases for the Jags, as Chitwood got another opportunity and came through with a two-run single to right field.  Patterson knocked an infield single to score Wright, as the Jags kept the inning going with their third run.  Despite the late rally, they ran out of outs to play with, as a groundout stopped the bleeding for Loyola and ended the game.
 
With the loss, the Jags will look to day two of the Total Control Sports Invitational, as the Jags are scheduled to face Miami (Ohio) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 11).
 
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