INDIANAPOLIS – The 16th-ranked UIndy softball team (36-10, 14-4 GLVC) earned its fourth straight sweep and ninth consecutive victory on Saturday, taking both games against the visiting Rockhurst Hawks (20-17, 7-9 GLVC) at Baumgartner Field on Alumni Day.
 
Sydnie Foster led the Hounds with a five-for-nine effort at the plate, including the walk-off single that gave UIndy its first win of the day.
 
UIndy 3, Rockhurst 2 (9 inn.)
Taylor Danielson opened the Greyhound scoring on Saturday, driving in Taylor Podschweit in the first inning with a liner to right field. UIndy hurler Halie Waters avoided trouble the first four innings as the Hounds clung to a 1-0 lead, but Rockhurst pounced on the righty with a pair of homers to take a 2-1 advantage.
 
After Podschweit drove in Kamrie Foster to respond and tie it in the Hounds' half of the fifth, each starter locked in inside the circle as just two hits were managed between the two teams over the next three innings heading into the ninth.
 
Waters sent down the final seven Hawks before Foster singled home Brooke Montgomery in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Greyhounds the 3-2 victory.
 
UIndy 8, Rockhurst 6
As hard as offense was hard to come by in the opener, that was not the case in the nightcap with 14 total runs crossing the plate. Five of those tallies came in the first inning, with UIndy chasing Rockhurst starter Paige Renner after scoring four times in the opening frame.
 
The Hounds appeared to be in charge, scoring three more times in the third, with Foster singling home Hanna Burris to take a 7-1 lead.
 
Rockhurst kept fighting, however, eyeing down UIndy starter Lauren Honkomp for two homers to cut the deficit to just two after five-and-a-half innings. Podschweit drilled the scoreboard with an opposite-field bomb in the bottom of the sixth, but Hawks' second baseman Emily Clark answered right back with a shot of her own for the third homer off Honkomp.
 
Waters was called in relief for the Greyhounds, and promptly halted any other ideas the Hawks had about tying it up to record her fourth save of the season in the 8-6 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Each of Foster's five hits were singles on Saturday, while the sophomore drove in two RBIs and scored one run.
 
In total, Waters worked 10 innings in the sweep, allowing just seven baserunners and two earned runs. The sophomore lowered her season ERA to 1.80 as a result, while she picked up her 17th win of the year.
 
Podschweit's homer in game two ties her with Gianni Iannantone with five this season. The duo has combined to hit 10 of the team's 25 home runs this season.
 
MORE NOTES
Rockhurst slugger Payton Staggs led the Hawks with four hits on Saturday … Haylie Foster, providing great defense at second base, also added two RBIs in the sweep … the Greyhounds struck out just four times against Hawks' pitching, while UIndy hurlers combined to punch out nine Rockhurst hitters.
 
UP NEXT
UIndy hits the road next weekend with GLVC twin bills scheduled at McKendree on Friday and at Illinois Springfield on Saturday. The doubleheader with the Bearcats is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lebanon, Ill.