INDIANAPOLIS- The Greyhounds closed out the regular season with a GLVC doubleheader sweep of visiting Wisconsin-Parkside at the Indiana Central Little League Saturday. No. 19 UIndy defeated the Rangers 8-0 and 8-4 to head into postseason play with a record of 33-10-1. The Greyhounds close out the GLVC regular season slate with a record of 16-6.
NO. 19 UINDY 8 - WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE 0 (5 INNINGS)
The Greyhounds jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind a two-out, three-run homerun from
Cori Eckerle.
Prior to the Eckerle homer,
Jennifer DeMotte reached via a bloop single to left center, and was followed on base by a single up the middle from
Dakota Malayer. Both DeMotte and Malayer came home on Eckerle's bomb over the right-center fence.
UIndy plated three more runs in the fourth inning, with
Jessica Breeden opening the frame with a no-doube homerun to dead center.
Krysta Bradford reached on a fielder's choice two batters later, and came home on a triple to left center by
Kelsey Rummel.
Rummel put the Greyhounds up 6-0 during the next at-bat, with a straight steal of home. The speedy UIndy thirdbaseman took home, sliding in just before the Ranger catcher received the ball.
The Greyhounds sealed the 8-0 win with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Audrey Ernst started the offense with a one-out singe to right center, and moved to second on a single to right by Bradford. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Ernst came home on a single to left by Rummel.
The game-ending run came around to score on a single to right field by
Che' Hanebrink. The Greyhound left fielder's hit brought in Bradford, ending the game via the eight-run rule.
DeMotte (19-4) earned the shutout win, her sixth of the year. The Greyhound sophomore tossed a gem, allowing just one hit over five innings of work. Rummel led the offense with a pair of hits and two RBIs. Eckerle finished with three RBIs.
NO. 19 UINDY 8 - WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE 4
The Rangers took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, plating their runs on one hit and one Greyhound error.
UIndy got one run back in the bottom of the first, with Hanebrink scoring on a bases-loaded walk issued to Eckerle.
UWP pushed is lead back to two with a lone run in the second, but UIndy tied the ballgame with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
The first Greyhound run of the second came on a fielder's choice by Hanebrink, scoring Bradford. Rummel scored the second run of the inning, on another steal of home as a part of a double-steal play that fooled the Ranger infield, and allowed Rummel enough time to cross the plate.
The Greyhounds took the lead with one run in the third. Malayer led off with a triple down the rightfield line, and scored on a single to left center by Ernst.
The Rangers tied the game yet again with a run in the top of the fourth, on an RBI single up the middle by Christine Holthus.
UIndy regained the lead on Eckerle's second homerun of the day, a solo shot over the leftfield fence. The Greyhounds added some insurance in the sixth inning, scoring three runs to push the final score to 8-4.
A one-out single up the middle by
Jamie Keltz started things off. Hanebrink followed with a double down the leftfield line, and DeMotte plated both Keltz and Hanebrink on a double to left center. The final run of the day came home on Eckerle's sixth RBI of the day, on a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring DeMotte.
Ernst (5-2) earned the win in relief of
Lauren Edwards. Senior
Meagan Gutierrez earned her second save of the year in the victory.
The Greyhounds now head into post season play, with the Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championships opening next Friday from Eastside Centre in East Peoria, Ill. next Friday.
NOTES: The Greyhounds recognized their three seniors, Breeden, Gutierrez and Keltz between games...UIndy has now had four consecutive 30-win seasons...the Greyhounds have won 30 or more games in five of their last six seasons...every UIndy 30-win season has come during the tenure of Melissa Frost-Fisher as the Greyhound head coach.
