INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 16 UIndy softball team wrapped up its annual Spring Break trip to Florida on Thursday by splitting two games. The Greyhounds used some late-game heroics to earn a 4-2 comeback win in extras versus Indiana (Pa.). Later, Bemidji State held on for a 1-0 win over UIndy to cap the trip.
UIndy 4, IUP 2 (8 innings)
Trailing 2-0 heading into the seventh, the Greyhounds crafted a late rally to tie the game and force extra innings. Two freshman reserves earned the crucial RBIs, as
Abbey Brown's sac fly and
Peyton Cusack's timely single combined to knot the score at 2-2.
After pitcher
Cheyenne Eads sat down the Crimson Hawks in order in the bottom of the seventh – including a pair of strikeouts – the UIndy offense generated the game-winning run. With the tiebreaker rule ushering a runner to second base,
Brooklyn Willis plated the go-head tally with a single, while Eads herself delivered a double to tack on some insurance.
Eads (6-5) again retired the side without incident in the bottom of the eighth, sealing the complete-game victory. She finished with nine Ks, allowing just three hits, one walk and one earned run. Her counterpart Kendall Young (5-1) was handed her first loss of the season.
Senior
Shelby Cook went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.
Bemidji State 1, UIndy 0
The Beavers came out on top of in the tighest of pitchers' duel. The game's lone run came on a two-out double in the top of the third, with BSU starter Kennedy Joachim (7-2) went the distance while scattering four hits and a walk and striking out 10.
UIndy had the tying run in scoring position in the fifth and a run at first base with one out in the seventh but could get in the scoring column.
Freshman
Josie Jager (0-1) got her for career pitching start, going 4 1/3 innings with two Ks and walk. Eads returned to the circle in the fifth inning, tossing 2 2/3 scoreless to end finish the game.
At the plate,
Sydney Oliver had a single and a walk, while
Jocelyn Calvin and
Tori Angles each managed a successful sacrifice bunt.
UP NEXT
UIndy has a quick turnaround before it returns to conference play this weekend. The Hounds will play two doubleheaders in the Kansas City area this weekend, starting with a meeting at Rockhurst University Saturday, March 15.
