Boxscores
(#1) Lewis 2, (#8) Indianapolis 0
(#3) Missouri-Rolla 11, (#8) Indianapolis 9
EAST PEORIA, Ill.- A pair of Greyhound comebacks fell short, eliminating UIndy from the Great Lakes Valley Conference softball tournament on Friday afternoon. The day was plagued by rain, stalling the Greyhound offense until the final innings. The loss ends UIndy's season with a 25-22 record, the third straight season with at least 25 wins, a new program record.
The Hounds had to deal with top-seeded Lewis in the opener. UIndy starter Megan Russell worked out of two early jams, included a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the third. Russell induced an inning-ending groundout and the game remained scoreless.
Lewis starter Courtney Lyons allowed just a single to Amanda Wendlinger through the first six innings, keeping the Hounds at bay. She helped give the Flyers the lead in the fourth when she doubled home the game's first run. LU tacked on another in the next frame for a 2-0 lead.
The Hounds' comeback started with senior catcher Colleen Roach's deep double with one out in the top of the seventh. She hammered a pitch to the left centerfield fence that came within inches of going out. A groundout and a flyout ended the threat and the game, sending the Hounds to the loser's bracket.
In the second game, UIndy matched up with Missouri-Rolla, who had lost to Wisconsin-Parkside in its opening round game. UMR's offense proved to be robust, scoring in each of the first four innings and all but one inning, a one-two-three fifth. The Miners racked-up a 5-0 lead through three innings before the Greyhound bats came alive.
Lauren Booten singled to open the inning and Russell followed with a base on balls. A Miner error loaded the bases and Lindsey Gustine grounded out to score UIndy's first run. Lacey Werner (pictured) and Julie Zaitz each had bases-loaded singles to put the score 5-3, but a strikeout and a groundout snuffed out the rally.
UMR got the runs right back, posting four runs in the bottom of the inning for a sizable 9-3 advantage. The Hounds battled back, unleashing a six-run fifth inning to come all the way back and tie the score. The Hounds sent 12 batters the plate in the inning, chasing UMR starter Ashley Wallingford. Booten again started the rally, singling through the left side. Roach singled and Lindsay Maraldo walked to once again load the bases.
Lindsey Gustine hammered a pitch up the middle to score two and close the gap to 9-5. With runners on second and third, Werner roped a triple to right center, clearing the bases and inching the Hounds to 9-7. An RBI groundout from Jessica Breeden made it 9-8 and Russell walked with the bases reloaded to tie the score.
Russell silenced the UMR bats in the bottom of the inning to preserve the score, but the Greyhounds could not garner another base runner the rest of the way. Holly Weiburg's two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference, bouncing UIndy from the double-elimination tournament and effectively ending the Greyhounds' season.
UIndy (25-22) garnered nine runs on nine hits in the second game. Booten and Werner each had a pair of hits while Werner and Gustine each drove in three in the loss.
The Greyhounds finished off another solid season, becoming the first UIndy softball team to record three straight 25-win seasons. The Hounds also set a team record for homers (25), surpassing last season's mark of 20.
Notes: Russell tied the season mark for homers in a season with seven in her freshman campaign, tying Booten's mark set last season, also her rookie year ... Roach, with her two hits on Friday, finished off her stellar collegiate career with a nine-game hitting streak, her third streak of at least nine games in her two seasons at UIndy ... Roach led the team with a .373 batting average.
