MARION, Ill. – The 11th-ranked UIndy softball team pulled off an excited come-from-behind win Saturday versus a regional rival. The Greyhounds erased a 4-1 deficit against perennial-power Grand Valley before literally walking off with a win in the eighth inning on Josie Jager's game-winning base on balls.
 
UP NEXT
UIndy wraps up its stay at the Oasis Sports Complex in Marion, Ill., on Sunday when it clashes with in-region game Purdue Northwest. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. ET.
 
INS & OUTS
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning and 4-1 in the fourth, the Greyhounds battled all the way back to tie it and force extras. An RBI groundout from Jager and a run-scoring single by Maya Rodriguez highlighted a fifth-inning spurt. Later, a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth tied the game after a clutch double by Cara Cooper plated Willis with the equalizer.
 
UIndy saw the Lakers put the potential go-ahead run on third base with one out in the top of the eighth, but star pitcher Cheyenne Eads induced back-to-back popups to escape unscathed.
 
In the bottom half, the tiebreaker rule placed Sydney Oliver on second before Cara Cooper (walked) and Eads (hit by pitch) followed with productive ABs to load them up. Jager patiently worked a decisive walk, securing the win over Grand Valley in the two Midwest giants' first meeting since the 2023 NCAA Super Regional.
 
Eads went the distance in the circle, finishing with three Ks and a walk in eight innings. She retired the final 11 batters she faced and moved to a spotless 7-0 on the year.
 
Each of UIndy's top-three hitters reached base three times—three singles by Willis, a double and two singles for Cooper, and three HBPs by Eads. Willis scored three times and Shelby Cook added a pair of base hits.