Box Score FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Perhaps one of the greatest underdog stories to ever happen at IUPUI, the Jaguar softball team (21-27, 11-6) pulled off the improbable Sunday (May 7), defeating Fort Wayne 20-6 to claim the program's first ever Summit League regular season championship.  The Jags were picked to finish sixth in the Summit League preseason polls.
 
The Jags went wild on offense, as the team erupted for seven runs in the first inning, part of a 19 hit, 20 run performance on the day.  Of the 18 RBIs on the day for IUPUI, 14 were produced by senior players.  Maggie Good continued to be an absolute terror in the series, clubbing two homeruns on a 3-for-4 performance, scoring four RBIs.  She upped her season total to 16 homeruns and 47 RBIs, both of which are new IUPUI single season records.  Roni Patterson went 2-for-3 with a homerun, three runs scored and four RBIs, tying the all-time program record for most career homeruns (39).  She's now tied for the second-most hits at IUPUI with 208, also needing just one run to tie the all-time program record.   
 
Senior Alyssa Matson finished the afternoon 3-for-5, scoring three times and bringing home three RBIs.  She extended her hits total to a league-best 60.  Taylor Chitwood went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while four other players joined her with two hits each.  Maggie Armstrong, Delaney Thompson, Mandy Dallas and McKenzie Loge all picked up a pair of hits each, as every player in the lineup hit.  One of Dallas' hits went for a homerun, her third of the season.  She picked up two RBIs for the afternoon.
 
Erica Tharp was absolutely crucial for the Jags, coming on in relief in just the second inning.  She pitched 3.2 innings while surrendering just two hits with no earned runs.  She helped the Jags preserve a one-run lead in the second by inducing a ground out and pop out with runners on and only one out.
 
Things started very quickly for the Jags, as Matson and Chitwood reached on an error and a hit-by-pitch.  With a pair on, Patterson came out swinging, knocking a three-run shot down the left field line that cleared the fence.  Good then followed with her first homerun, a solo shot, that went out to center field.  After Armstrong singled and a fielder's choice, Dallas doubled to left center, Loge eventually walked, and Matson doubled to clear the bases and score three.  The offensive outburst gave IUPUI a seven-run lead.
 
A rough bottom half of the second inning handed the 'Dons six runs on just four hits with two errors, as the gap narrowed to 7-6.  That's when, with only one out, Tharp came on in relief and induced a weak grounder to the left side that forced the runners to hold, followed by a two-out fly ball to right field.
 
Held silent until the fourth inning, the Jags reloaded the guns and came out firing, as Patterson started the inning with a leadoff double.  After a pitching change from the Mastodons, Good singled, then toyed with the defense in keying a run to score.  She rounded first and headed for second base, catching the defense off-guard and forcing them to throw to the bag.  With the attention on the advancing Good, Patterson was able to take advantage, making her way home from third base after advancing on the base hit.  A fielding error brought Good home and put another runner in scoring position, as Thompson came up and launched a double through the middle that plated a pinch-running Delainey Turner.  Now up 10-6, Loge doubled to right center with two outs, scoring another run for the Jags.  Matson singled to the infield, showing great hustle to beat out the throw.  With runners at the corners, Chitwood doubled to score two, followed by a walk to Patterson and a three-run homer by Good to break the game wide open.  Up 16-6, the Jags needed no more offense to shatter the 'Dons' hopes.
 
Four more runs came across in the top of the fifth inning, as the Jags put Fort Wayne away in the bottom half to run-rule the home team.  The victory secured the Jags first-ever regular season title, as they'll head to the Summit League Tournament with the No. 1 seed, having never finished higher than the No. 3. 
 
The Jags will immediately board a bus bound for Fargo, North Dakota, as the team will partake in the Summit League banquet Tuesday evening, followed by opening action Wednesday.  With the top seed, the Jags will forego the opening single-elimination round and advance immediately to double-elimination.
 
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