SMYRNA, Tenn.—The No. 14 UIndy softball team opened the annual Music City Invitational Saturday with a pair of wins, downing in-region foes Purdue-Northwest and Davenport in consecutive games. The highpoint came when sophomore
Megan Nichols delivered an extra-inning walkoff triple to lift the Greyhounds to a 2-1 win in game one.
GAME 1 |
14 UIndy 2, Purdue-Northwest 1 (8 innings)
Locked in a 1-1 stalemate through the regulation seven innings, the Hounds needed some clutch plays in the eighth to keep the score tied and ultimately earn the victory.
With the extra-inning tiebreaker rule in place (i.e. a runner at second base to start the inning), UIndy cut down the potential go-ahead run for the first out of the top of the eighth. Later a walk and an error made it second and third before ace
Kenzee Smith notched her 12th and final strikeout victim of the day to end the threat.
Nichols wasted little time, leading off the bottom of the eighth with the timeliest of triples, scoring Jacelyn Calvin from second with the game winner.
Smith went the distance in the circle to move to 4-1 on the year. Her allowed just five hits and one run, while her 12 Ks marked a season high.
UIndy scored its earlier run way back in the bottom of the first when Lex Rees plated
Shelby Cook with a two-out single.
GAME 2 |
14 UIndy 8, Davenport 1
Sophomore starter
Jayden Casebolt was on point versus the Panthers. The Newburgh, Ind., native authored the best game of her young career, tossing a one-hitter to move to 3-0 on the season. She fanned six batters, with her only run allowed coming as a unearned tally in the fourth.
UP NEXT
UIndy remains in the Music City for two more contests on Sunday, facing Parkside at noon Eastern followed directly by a matchup versus Harding.
