INDIANAPOLIS - The three-game series against visiting Oakland concluded Saturday (Apr. 11) afternoon at the IU Indy Softball Complex with the Golden Grizzlies using a hot start to secure a 6-3 victory. Senior Kennedy Cowan knocked one out of the park for her third homer of the season, while fellow senior, Alexa Holman, pitched five and a third innings, giving up just three hits and a single run.

The visitors came out swinging, with the first four batters all connecting on pitches to put runners in scoring positions. Kamryn Troyer got the scoring started, reaching home from second after Kayla Turmell smacked one to right field. After a fly out advanced runners to second and third, Autumn Liebhauser hit one through the infield, scoring two to round out a solid first inning for the Golden Grizzlies. 

The Jaguars didn't take long to get on the scoreboard either, with lead-off hitter Adeline Blackwell rounding the bases en route to an eventual stolen base at the plate for the team's first run. 

Oakland would add to their lead in inning number two, adding a pair of runs to extend the lead to four. IU Indy, however, would cut into the lead in its half of the inning after Holman touched the plate on a Karley Kavanaugh RBI.

After giving up a hit to the lead-off batter in the top of the third, Holman found her groove, retiring six straight, including a strikeout, over the next two innings. 

Still down three in the bottom of the sixth, Cowan's lead-off homer cut the deficit to just two and gave the Jags some momentum. The play forced a pitching change for the Golden Grizzlies with Kenna Bommarito stepping in the circle in relief for starting pitcher Kama Skrek. Bommarito made quick work of the rest of the inning, retiring her first three batters faced. 

Oakland began the top of the seventh with a double down the right field line by Turmell, who scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly. In their portion of the final inning, IU Indy was able to get runners on base but was unable to round the bases to cut into the deficit, resulting in a 6-3 final score. 

The Jaguars will take on cross-town foe Butler on Tuesday (Apr. 14) with first pitch at 4:00 p.m.