EAST PEORIA, Ill. – The second-seeded UIndy softball team (44-13) came up on the short end of an epic 10-inning marathon at the 2019 GLVC Championship Tournament on Saturday, falling to top-seeded Missouri-St. Louis, 2-0, in what proved a quintessential pitchers' duel. The Greyhounds will return to the field later this evening to face the Truman/Drury winner at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the marquee match-up of the tourney so far, two All-GLVC First Team hurlers went toe-to-toe and did not disappoint. UIndy's Halie Waters (22-8) and UMSL's Andee Tiffee (16-4) both went the distance, combining for 20 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts, eight hits and two runs allowed.
 
The Greyhounds' first base runner didn't come until the bottom of the eighth when senior Shannon Schuetz managed a two-out single before being stranded.
 
UIndy's best scoring chance came an inning later when sophomore Sydnie Foster laid down the perfect drag bunt to start the frame and put the potential game-winning run at first. After moving up on a sacrifice from her sister Kamrie, Foster hustled towards home on a Hanna Burris bloop to right but was thrown out at plate by second baseman Carly Kingery.
 
Burris took second on the throw but there she stayed. Later, sophomore Gianni Iannantone was also left at second base after a one-out double in the bottom of the 10th.
 
The fatal blow eventually came in the top half of the 10th when a single and a home run – both coming with two outs – plated the decisive runs.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Waters struck out a career-high 17 batters in the loss.
- UMSL first baseman Chelsea Martinez delivered the home run in the 10th. She was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts prior to that at bat.
- Tiffee carried a perfect game into the eighth inning. She ultimately allowed four hits – same as Waters – and did not walk a single batter.