ROSEMONT, Ill. – IUPUI softball split their two games on the second day of the Rambler Rumble in Rosemont, Ill. The Jags picked up a win against Evansville in the first game thanks in part to a deep shot by Hailey Pop.
Rachel Gregory picked up three hits on the day as the freshman continues her hot start to the season and Kayana Diederich earned the first win of her career.
IUPUI 3, Evansville 2
The Jags and Aces went scoreless in the first three innings before Evansville picked up the first run of the game in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff single, Diederich got two outs but a wild pitch put the runner in scoring position. In the next at bat, a line drive went off of first baseman Delainey Turner and gave Evansville the lead.
IUPUI struck back in the bottom of the inning thanks to Pop. Sabrina Trevino reached on a leadoff walk but was thrown out at second on Gregory's bunt. In the next at bat, Pop got ahold of a pitch and deposited over the left field wall, giving the Jags the 2-1 lead.
The Aces got runners on first and second in the top of the fifth with and loaded the bases in the sixth, both times with two outs, and in each of those situations, Diederich struck out the next batter looking to end the inning.
Gregory opened up the bottom of the sixth with a double to left and Amber Pagan, who pinch-hit for Maicey Bedrick, delivered two batters later with her own double to give IUPUI an insurance run.
Diederich got the first two Aces of the top of the seventh to fly out to Jaida Speth in center but a double down the left field line kept the game alive. The next batter singled to right, bringing home the runner to make the game 3-2. With the tying run on first, the next batter flew out to Speth for the final out.
In her first-career start, Diederich only gave up the two runs, scattering eight hits and three walks in the complete game outing. She also struck out three batters.
Miami (Ohio) 7, IUPUI 3
In the second game of the day, a late explosion by the Miami offense was too much for IUPUI to overcome in the loss. The Jags also left nine runners on base, unable to capitalize on scoring chances.
Both Mandy Dallas and McKenzie Loge finished the game with two hits and Speth finished with a hit, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.
Miami got the scoring going with a home run in the bottom of the second but the Jags responded in the top of the third. Speth was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and a walk by Delaney Thompson and single by Dallas with one out loaded the bases. Gregory stepped to the plate and tied the game with a groundout to first. After Pop walked, Jordan Barnes struck out to leave the bases loaded.
An error in the bottom of the third helped earn the RedHawks their second run of the game, but IUPUI was again quick to respond as a triple from Speth scored Pagan, who singled in the previous at bat.
Things unraveled in the bottom of the fifth as Miami scored three runs, all with two outs on the board, to jump ahead 5-2.
Thompson grounded out to score Speth in the top of the sixth but Miami scored two more in the bottom of the frame to increase the deficit.
Lexi Lucas (1-1) picked up her first loss of the season, giving up six earned runs on nine hits. The sophomore struck out four batters and did not issue a walk.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will take on Loyola Chicago on Sunday (Feb. 9) to close out the weekend. First pitch against the Ramblers is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
