SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After a rained out Saturday, the IU Indy softball team closed out the USC Upstate Invitational on Sunday with a run rule win over Canisius in five innings, 9-1. Junior Alexa Holman earned the win in the circle for the Jags and Callie Dickerson led the Jags at the plate, collecting four RBI.
 
The Jags jumped on the scoreboard first with one run in the bottom of the second inning. Tori Candler led off the inning with a single down the right field line. After Karley Kavanaugh entered to run for Candler, Molly Kable moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and Kavanaugh on second, Kennedy Cowan singled to second base to advance the runner. An error on the play by the Canisius defense, allowed for Kavanaugh to score the first run of the game.
 
After a scoreless third inning, the Jags added two runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth frame to extend their lead to 3-0. Kable kicked off a two-out rally with a double to left field. Dickerson then knocked her first collegiate home run over the right field fence to collect two RBI and extend IU Indy's lead.
 
Canisius refused to be blanked as they scored one run on two hits and two Jaguars' errors in the top of the fifth inning to cut the lead down to two, 3-1.
 
IU Indy quickly regrouped on offense to close the door on the Griffs with six runs on five hits in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Reese Rosenbaum doubled to right center, followed by a walk from Kendal Calvert. Morgan Gilbert then singled to right field to load the bases for Paige McPhearson. With one out, McPhearson singled to short to move the runners up one, scoring Rosenbaum. Candler went right back at the shortstop who couldn't handle the ball, allowing for the Jags to advance safely, scoring Calvert.
 
After Isabelle Waggner entered to run for Candler and the bases still loaded with one out, Kable singled down the left field line, scoring Gilbert and McPhearson. Dickerson then came up to the plate with the walk off run rule run on second. She doubled to right center to score Waggner and Kable and seal the run rule win for the Jags, 9-1.
 
Dickerson and Kable each totaled two hits as Dickerson collected a team-high four RBI and Kable added two RBI. Gilbert, McPhearson, Candler, Cowan and Rosenbaum each added one hit to give the Jags a total of nine hits in the win. Holman (W, 1-2) earned her first win of the season, throwing a complete five-inning game, giving up just one run (unearned) on two hits with four strikeouts.
 
With the win, IU Indy improves to 2-5 and will next travel to Chattanooga for the Chattanooga Invitational. During the Feb. 21-23 weekend, the Jags will face Illinois State, Chattanooga, Lamar, Southeast Missouri State and Indiana State.