ROSEMONT, Ill. – The IUPUI softball team began its season splitting two games at the Total Control Sports Invitational on Friday (Feb. 9).
 
IUPUI (1-1) beat Fort Wayne in game one before falling to DePaul to close out the day.
 
"It was a great first day of the season," said first year head coach Elisabeth Beirne. "Everyone really contributed and there were a lot of good things to take away from today."
 
GAME 1: IUPUI 6, FORT WAYNE 5

In the first game of the day against Fort Wayne (0-1), IUPUI got a big sixth inning to take down the Mastodons, 6-5.
 
Entering the bottom of the sixth, the Jags found themselves down 5-2. With one out and a runner on first, Kristin London doubled to put runners on second and third. Maddie Keeley brought home a run on an infield single and with two outs, Dani Cinquepalmi delivered with a two-RBI single to left to tie the game.
 
Haley Ginger singled to left and Cinquepalmi scored the go-ahead run before Ginger was thrown out at second.
 
In her first collegiate game, Cinquepalmi led the Jags going 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI.  London also finished with two hits in three at-bats with a run scored.
 
Megan Overton (1-0) picked up the win, throwing a complete game for the Jags, allowing eight hits and four earned runs, while striking out five.
 
Fort Wayne picked up a run in the first inning before IUPUI responded with an RBI single by Sabrina Trevino that scored Mandy Dallas. Trevino would give the Jags the lead scoring on a Fort Wayne throwing error.
 
Fort Wayne looked to take control of the game in the third and fourth innings, scoring four runs. One run came off of a double steal while the fifth Mastodon run of the game was unearned after an error by Cinquepalmi.
 
GAME 2: DEPAUL 5, IUPUI 2

In the second game of the day, IUPUI was shut down by DePaul (1-0) starter Pat Moore, who threw six shutout innings, only allowing three hits and striking out 10 batters.
 
The Blue Demons got on the board early against Jaguar starter Dezirae Leonard who was tagged for three runs in the first. In the fifth inning, Jessica Cothern hit an inside-the-park home run for DePaul to increase their lead to 4-0.
 
The Jags attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as Haley Ginger hit her first triple of the season to score Kristin London. Sabrina Trevino, who finished 2-for-3 on the day, brought home Ginger with a single but the rally would stop there.
 
All five hits for IUPUI came from the 6-through-9 spots in the batting order as the top of the lineup struggled, accounting for nine strikeouts.
 
In her first game as a Jaguar after transferring at the semester from Lake Land College, Leonard (0-1) threw a complete game only allowing four hits over the seven innings. Leonard gave up three earned runs and allowed three walks.
 
IUPUI continues play in the Total Control Sports Invitational on Saturday (Feb. 10) with games against Fort Wayne and Northern Colorado.