Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CARBONDALE, Ill. - IUPUI finished up play in the Saluki Invitational with losses to Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois on Sunday (March 8). The Jags missed multiple opportunities during the day, stranding 13 runners in the first game and eight in the second game. 

Delainey Turner had a good day at the plate for IUPUI (5-15) in the first game of the day, hitting her first home run of the season and driving in three against the Huskies. Both Jaida Speth and McKenzie Loge had two hits against the Salukis. 

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 10, IUPUI 5

In the first game of the day, missed opportunities and a big inning doomed IUPUI in a 10-5 loss to Northern Illinois. Delainey Turner hit her first home run of the season on a 3-for-4 day and IUPUI finished with 12 hits but left 13 runners on base.

A two-run home run for NIU got the scoring going in the first and the Huskies added a run in both the third and the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.

IUPUI missed opportunities to jump on NIU early, getting a runner in scoring position in the first and two runners in scoring position with two outs in the second only to come up empty. It got worse for the Jags offense in the third as IUPUI loaded the bases with two outs and was again kept off the scoreboard.

The offense finally broke through in the fourth as Hailey Pop singled to begin the inning and Turner crushed a home run to left center to cut the deficit in half.

Northern Illinois quickly responded with two runs in the top of the fifth, chasing starter Kayana Diederich (3-6) in the process.

In the bottom of the frame, IUPUI started to claw its way back in to the game. The inning started with a single by Delaney Thompson, who finished the day with two hits. Amber Pagan walked and after a groundout, Jordan Barnes was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pop drew a walk to bring home IUPUI's first run of the inning and in the next at bat, Turner drove in her third run of the game with a single.

IUPUI looked like they were going to keep the rally going as Diederich singled to right to score Barnes but Turner got caught between second and third and, in the ensuing run down, Pop was thrown out at home ending IUPUI's threat with the score at 6-5 in favor of Northern Illinois.

Things unraveled for the Jags in the sixth as Northern Illinois sent 10 runners to the plate and scored four to make the score 10-5.

The Jags threatened in the sixth, again loading the bases after a two out walk by Barnes, but Pop grounded out to short to end the inning.

The last chance for the Jags came in the seventh with singles by Diederich and Loge but another groundout ended the game.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 6, IUPUI 2

IUPUI picked up the first run of the game against the Salukis as Sabrina Trevino singled with two outs in the second and was driven home by a double from Loge.

In the third, IUPUI kept things going on offense. Jaida Speth singled to start the inning and Thompson and Pagan each drew walks to load the bases with no outs. Rachael Gregory grounded out to second but the second run for IUPUI came across. In the next at bat, Pop drew a walk to load the bases up again but the Jags popped up in back-to-back at bats to end the inning.

The lead quickly disappeared in the bottom of the inning as Southern Illinois responded with three runs to take a one-run lead. The Salukis got on the board again the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run off of Lexi Lucas.

Southern Illinois added one more run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.

UP NEXT

IUPUI will be back in action next weekend at the UT Martin Invitational with two games on Saturday (March 14) and two on Sunday (March 15). The games will be against Sienna and UT Martin.