INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI made a comeback but a late home run hurt the Jags in a 6-3 loss to Youngstown State in first game of the series against the Penguins.
IUPUI (9-23, 3-1 Horizon) got the bats going late but could not keep the bats of Youngstown State (13-17, 4-0 Horizon) quiet as the two teams combined for seven home runs.
Every run in the game was scored off of a home run but it was the Penguins that hit the last long ball with a three-run shot in the top of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and hand IUPUI its first conference loss of the season.
McKenzie Loge,
Haley Ginger and
Mandy Dallas all homered for the Jags, who hit three home runs in a game for the first time this season.
The Penguins took a 2-0 lead after a solo shot by Elizabeth Birkbeck in the second and a Maddi Lusk home run in the fourth. Both home runs were leadoff shots. The Jags cut the lead in half as Loge led off the fourth with her first home run of the season, a no-doubter to right center.
Both teams were kept off of the board for the next inning until Lusk homered for the second time of the day, leading off the sixth with a shot to left.
With the Jags down two in the bottom of the inning, the game saw its first run not scored by the leadoff batter as Ginger stepped to the plate and hit a line drive that easily cleared the right center field wall. It was Ginger's team-leading fourth home run of the season. After Loge grounded out to the first baseman, Dallas tied the game with her third home run of the year down the left field line.
The Jags needed just three outs to try to get a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh but the Penguins got to starter
Lexi Lucas (6-9) with a double to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt and another bunt for a single, Grace Cera homered for the three run shot to give the Penguins the lead.
IUPUI got a runner on as
Sabrina Trevino was hit by a pitch with two outs but a groundout by
Emily Berrisford ended the game.
The Jags managed just five hits on the day with Dallas accounting for two of them, going 2-for-3.
In the loss, Lucas again struggled giving up the long ball. The freshman came in to the game having allowed 22 home runs and only gave up eight hits, but four of those cleared the fence. Lucas did finish the game with four strikeouts, the most in her last five outings.
UP NEXT
IUPUI and Youngstown State will play a double header to finish up its three-game series on Sunday (Mar. 29) with first pitch beginning at 1 p.m.
