INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI softball was on the wrong end of two close contests against Oakland to start Horizon League play on Friday (March 12). The Jags lost the first game in extra innings before having the game end with the tying run at the plate in game two.
Morgan Gilbert led the Jags, going 5-for-9 at the plate in the two games and
Jennah Speth finished the day with three hits. Both Speth and
Jordan Barnes hit home runs for IUPUI during the double header.
OAKLAND 7 – IUPUI 5 F/9
IUPUI opened up the scoring with a sacrifice fly by Barnes in the bottom of the first that scored Gilbert, who led off the inning with an infield single. In the next at bat, Speth singled up the middle to score
Lauren Youngblood that reached on a bunt.
The Jags increased the lead in the fourth inning as
Maicey Bedrick's line drive to right was mishandled by the right fielder, allowing
Hailey Pop, who had singled with two outs in the previous at bat, to score.
Meanwhile, starter
Lexi Lucas was in control early on. While Oakland managed to get runners on base in the second, third and fourth innings, Lucas always managed to get out of the jams and keep IUPUI in the lead. The Golden Grizzlies finally struck against Lucas in the fifth. After a leadoff single, Lucas got the next two outs but a walk kept the inning going. A single with two strikes brought home a run but Lucas got a fly out in the next at bat before any more harm could be done.
The IUPUI lead was cut to one in the top of the sixth with a leadoff home run but again, Lucas would setting in and get three-straight outs to keep the one-run lead intact.
Barnes gave IUPUI a little bit of insurance with a home run to center to start the sixth. The Jags looked to add more runs after a single by Speth and back-to-back singles by Bedrick and Tori Sivert to load the bases with one out. In the next at bat,
Jaida Speth hit a ground ball to second but the throw came home to get
Ryleigh Marsh at the plate for the second out. With Gilbert at the plate, IUPUI was looking for a two-out rally but a grounder to third kept the lead at two.
Three outs away from a win, Lucas got a strikeout to start the inning but allowed a triple to Oakland's leadoff hitter to bring the tying run to the plate. A double to the left field wall scored a run and a single up the middle brought home the tying run. With the go-ahead run on base, Lucas struck out the next two batters to keep the game tied.
IUPUI had multiple chances in the bottom of the seventh after
Lauren Youngblood doubled to start the inning.
Rachael Gregory's bunt attempt was popped up and caught by the third baseman, not allowing Youngblood to advance to third. Barnes was intentionally walked and
Jennah Speth walked on four-straight pitches to load the bases with one out. With the winning run 60 feet away, Pop was struck out looked and Bedrick grounded back to the pitcher to send the game in to extra innings.
Both teams managed to get a runner to second in the eighth inning but neither team could get the run across so the game moved on to the ninth.
Brooke York, who entered the game for Lucas in the eighth, gave up a lead-off home run but go the next two batters out. A two-out double was followed by a walk and back-to-back singles scored two runs as IUPUI fell behind by three going in to the last of the ninth.
After a ground out and strike out,
Jennah Speth homered to right field to cut the deficit to two but a fly out by Pop in the next at bat ended the game.
Lucas had another strong outing for IUPUI, going seven innings, allowing just four runs and striking out six.
OAKLAND 6 – IUPUI 3
In the nightcap of the double header, IUPUI again got out to the early lead with a two-run first inning. Gilbert singled to start the game and was followed by another single from Youngblood. After a strikeout, Barnes walked on four-straight pitches to lead the bases. Another strikeout put the Jags in danger of going scoreless but Bedrick responded with double to the wall in right center to score two runs.
After keeping the Golden Grizzlies off the scoreboard for the first two innings, Oakland managed to get to IUPUI's starter
Jennah Speth. A one-out, two-run home run put Oakland on the board and tied the game. The next batter reached after being hit and a double brought home the third run of the inning. A single and an error on a stolen base allowed Oakland's fourth run of the game to score.
Over the next three innings, IUPUI's best chance came in the bottom of the third after Youngblood led off the inning with a double but the Jags could not do anything else. Oakland took advantage of another IUPUI error in the sixth inning to increase its lead to 5-2.
IUPUI's third error of the game contributed to Oakland's sixth run of the game as the Golden Grizzles took a four-run lead in to the bottom of the seventh.
After two quick outs, IUPUI was down to its last chance to get back in the game.
Kasie Keyes earned a pinch hit single and Gilbert singled to left to keep the inning alive. Keyes and Gilbert moved up a base on an error by Oakland's left fielder. Youngblood reach on an infield single that scored Keyes and Speth came to the plate as the tying run. On a 2-2 count, Speth grounded out to short to close out an IUPUI rally.
UP NEXT
IUPUI and Oakland will play two more games on Saturday (March 13). The first game of the double header will start at Noon ET.
