EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Despite seven no-hit innings from freshman Lauren Honkomp and a late home run from senior Natalie Lalich, the sixth-seeded UIndy softball team (33-20) fell, 3-2, to No. 3-seed Saginaw Valley Thursday in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. With one out in the eighth, the Cardinals (36-14) coaxed a walk, broke up the no-no with an infield single and got a home run from junior Courtney Reeves to walk off with the victory.
 
The Hounds will now face an elimination game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET against Grand Valley State, who lost to Southern Indiana today, 5-1. SVSU, meanwhile, remains in the winners' bracket to face USI at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
 
Though she allowed an uncharacteristic seven bases on balls on the day, Honkomp (22-11) kept racking up zeros in both the runs and hits columns. The rookie from Richmond, Ind., also pitched around three UIndy errors as her only 1-2-3 inning came in the second.
 
Saginaw Valley had its best chance in regulation in the sixth, as an error, a sac bunt and a walk put runners at first and second with one out. Honkomp then sandwiched another free pass – which loaded the bases – with a pair of strikeouts to escape unscathed.
 
With the score still frozen at 0-0 and just one combined hit through seven complete, the Hounds finally plated the first tallies of the day in the top of the eighth. Senior Dani Turner hit a one-out single to left to set the stage for fellow-senior Natalie Lalich.
 
The newly-named All-Midwest Region performer fouled off two full-count offerings before launching the ball over the left field fence for her team-leading 13th bomb of the year, putting the Hounds on top.

The Cardinals would not wilt, however. After a harmless fly to left, the GLIAC champs orchestrated the game-winning rally, capped by the walk-off blast from Reeves. Senior pitcher Sam Willman (20-6) went the distance in the circle for SVSU to get the win.
 
The regional is being held in Evansville, Ind., and hosted by ninth-ranked Southern Indiana. The event is one of two four-team, double-elimination tournaments in the Midwest, with the other sub-regional being hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The two Midwest winners will face off in a best-of-three showdown at the Midwest Super Regional May 18-19 for the right go to the NCAA DII Championships in Salem, Va., May 25-29.