INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI softball team traveled across town where they picked up a midweek victory over the Butler Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon, 8-7. The Jags totaled 12 hits while
Isabelle Waggner picked up her first win of the season on the mound.
Butler (10-10) took an early lead in the first inning with two runs on three hits. Ella White knocked an RBI double to record the first run of the game while Teagan O'Rilley recorded a sacrifice fly to score White, 2-0.
IUPUI was slow to push runs across the plate in the first two innings but quickly picked up momentum to take the lead in the third inning. With the bases loaded and two outs,
Kinsey Pfeiffer singled to left field to score two runs while a third Jaguar run snuck home due to an error by the Bulldogs' shortstop.
After taking the 3-2 lead in the top of the third, IUPUI added to their lead in the top of the fourth frame. With runners on first and third and two outs,
Paige McPhearson singled to left field to score
Rachael Gregory.
Kennedy Cowan followed with a two-run double to center field, extending the Jags lead to 6-2. Cowan later scored on a wild pitch to give the Jags a 7-2 lead.
The Bulldogs answered with a three-run homer off the bat Monique Hoosen to cut the lead back down to 7-5.
IUPUI added one more run in the fifth inning with an RBI single from McPhearson, 8-5.
Butler's Hoosen knocked her second home run of the night in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead once again to 8-6. An inning later, the Bulldogs once again threatened. In the bottom of the seventh, Butler's Makena Alexander knocked a solo homerun to cut the lead to one, 8-7. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases on walks before
Carly Metcalf entered the game and sealed the win for the Jags, earning her first save of the year.
Waggner earned the win on the mound for IUPUI giving up two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
Kendal Calvert, McPhearson, Cowan and
Kasie Keyes all recorded two hits while McPhearson, Cowan and Pfeiffer totaled two RBI each.
Kelli Riordan, Pfeiffer,
Alexa Holman and Gregory each added a single in the win.
IUPUI will next travel to Bloomington this weekend for the Indiana Invite where they will face Dayton, Howard and Indiana.