HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The 21st-ranked UIndy softball team kicked off its 2015 season with a split at the opening day of the annual Charger Chillout, hosted by Alabama-Huntsville.  The Greyhounds (1-1) fell, 15-3, versus North Alabama before downing in-region Ohio Dominican, 9-1.
 
GAME 1
The Hounds had a rough go in the season opener, falling to North Alabama in five innings.  Things snowballed early as the Lions hung a 10-spot in the board in the first inning.  Both starter Coryn Tirpak and reliever Amanda Ciran surrendered extra-base hits.
 
The Hounds' first run of the season came on a leadoff bomb by Taylor Russell in the second.  It marked the 32nd career home run for the St. Charles, Ill., native, moving her within 10 of the school's all-time record.
 
UIndy's best scoring chance came in the fourth inning when Hounds loaded the bases with one out.  Senior Sydney Russell, Taylor's twin sister, smacked a single up the middle to drive in Natalie Lalich and Tayler Weck.  UNA's Hillary Carpenter fanned the next two batters to end the threat.
 
A transfer from Indiana University, Lalich finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in her first game in a Greyhound uniform.  S. Russell added a third-inning infield single to her later RBI knock.
 
GAME 2
With ace Morgan Foley in the circle for the in-region match-up, the Hounds needed just six innings to down the Panthers.  Foley (1-0) fired five innings of one-run ball, with her only tally coming on a sacrifice fly in the second.
 
Offensively, UIndy plated one run in the first on back-to-back doubles from Erika Goodwin and S. Russell, then broke it open with five runs in the third.    Lalich (single) and Jenny Thompson (double) each had two RBIs in the latter frame.
 
Jessie Noone and Weck added RBIs in the sixth.  Weck finished with a double and a single while Goodwin scored twice.
 
The Chillout continues with two more games Saturday.  The Hounds face host and 12th-ranked Alabama-Huntsville at 3 p.m., followed by a meeting with No. 9 North Georgia at 5 p.m.  Live stats are available for the first game at sidearmstats.com/uah/softball/.