DETROIT – IUPUI softball closed out its regular season splitting a double header against Detroit Mercy on Saturday (May 4). The Jags earned the win in game one in nine innings before being shutout in game two.
IUPUI (17-36, 11-11 Horizon) finishes the season tied for the second most league wins in school history and is currently tied for fourth place in the standings for next week's Horizon League Tournament.
IUPUI 4 – Detroit Mercy 2 (9 inn.)
Delainey Thompson's single with one out scored
Emily Berrisford, who led off the ninth with a single, to put the Jags ahead 3-2 in the top of the frame. Two batters later,
Sabrina Trevino doubled the lead with a single to right field to score
McKenzie Loge.
To close out the game
Jaida Speth, who earned her first collegiate win in the circle, allowed a single to start the inning but go a lineout and back-to-back foul outs to give the Jags the win.
IUPUI got things started with a bases loaded walk by
Haley Ginger to score
Mandy Dallas to put the Jags up 1-0. That lead did not last long as Detroit Mercy responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.
Another solo home run in the bottom of the fifth put the Titans up 2-1 but IUPUI was able to get the run back in the top of the sixth. Dallas led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Speth helped out her own cause with an eight pitch at bat that led to a single and scored Dallas.
Speth earned the win scattering five hits and not walking a batter, while striking out four.
The Jags pounded out 12 hits, including a 3-for-4 game by Trevino and two hits each from Speth and Berrisford. IUPUI did leave 10 batters on base, including leaving the bases loaded in each of the innings that it scored a run.
Detroit Mercy 4, IUPUI 0
After collecting 12 hits in the first game of the day against the Titans, IUPUI managed just five in game two as the Jaguars were shutout to end the season.
Trevino led the Jaguars with two hits and Dallas, Ginger and Turner each finished with one. IUPUI did manage to draw three walks and the Jags finished with 11 batters left on base, including the bases loaded in both the top of the sixth and seventh.
The Titans began the scoring in the first getting a two-out single to bring home the first run. Detroit Mercy doubled its lead in the very next inning against starter
Amanda Melzoni with a single up the middle after a single and sacrifice bunt.
A double in the bottom of the third with two outs, brought home Detroit Mercy's third run of the game and another double in the fourth after a leadoff single made the score 4-0.
The Jaguars managed to get two runners on in the first but Speth struck out to end the threat. IUPUI also got runners on first and second with two touts in the fourth but
Morgan Schuetter grounded out to end the inning. Both of IUPUI's bases loaded opportunities also came with two outs and each time, the Jags could not come away with the big hit.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will either be the No. 4 or No. 5 seed for the Horizon League Softball Championship and will play Northern Kentucky in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday (May 8) at 1 p.m. ET on the campus of UIC. With a win, the Jags would play the No. 1 seed Flames in the next round.
