MURRAY, Ky. – The IUPUI softball team kicked off the Velvet Milkman Classic at Murray State today with two games. The Jags fell in the opening game 5-4 to Toledo then dropped the second game to Murray State, 5-1.
 
In game one, the Jags took an early 3-0 lead after two innings. In the first inning, Kinsey Pfeiffer hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Morgan Gilbert. Paige McPhearson also scored on the play due to a Toledo error.
 
With a 2-0 lead, the Jags added another run in the second inning. Kelli Riordan hit a sacrifice fly scoring Emma Wheatley for the 3-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the third, Toledo scratched away at the lead with two runs of their own. The Rockets scored two runs on three hits and one IUPUI error to cut the Jags' lead to 3-2.
 
The Jags took one back in the fifth inning with Gilbert stealing home, 4-2. Despite a two run cushion, Toledo scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead. The Rockets totaled three runs on five hits to take the lead in the fifth.
 
In game one, Carly Metcalf (L, 1-3) took the loss on the mound giving up four runs (two unearned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. The Jags totaled five hits with Kayla Freiberg hitting a double. Freiberg and McPhearson each went 2-for-3 to lead the offense.
 
In game two, the Jags totaled a season-high 12 hits but couldn't string any together for runs, falling 5-1 against host Murray State.
 
Alexa Holman (L, 0-4) put the Jags on the board first with a home run in the top of the second inning, 1-0. The lead didn't last long as the Racers even the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the third.
 
The game was knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Racers scored three runs on one hit and two Jaguar errors. Murray State extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a sac fly, 5-1.
 
The Jags attempted to make a comeback in the top of the seventh inning. Rachael Gregory started the inning off with a single. After a sac bunt moved Gregory to second, McPhearson singled through the right side to put runners at the corners.
 
With two outs, Freiberg walked to load the bases. Holman, the Jaguars' starting pitcher, came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. After a battle at the plate, Holman hit into a fielder's choice, ending the game at 5-1.
Gregory led the offense, going 4-for-4 while McPhearson collected three hits and Pfeiffer, Holman, Victoria Sivert and Kasie Keyes each added one hit. Holman took the loss on the mound for the Jags giving up five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
 
The Jags will play two tomorrow, Saturday, February 24 when they face Western Illinois at 12:30 PM and Murray State at 5:30 PM.