SMYRNA, Tenn. – The No. 22 UIndy softball team opened its 2026 season with a doubleheader sweep of in-region Tiffin Saturday.  In a rematch of last year's NCAA Midwest Regional opener, the Greyhounds walked off the Dragons in extra innings in game one, 2-1, before earning a convincing victory in the capper, 9-4.
 
The matchup featured the preseason favorites of two of the three Midwest Region conferences—with UIndy topping the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll and Tiffin the GMAC's.
 
GAME 1 | UIndy 2, Tiffin 1 (9 inn.)
Cheyene Eads delivered a gem to start her sophomore campaign. Last year's GLVC Freshman of the Year tossed 6 1/3 innings of hitless softball until a Tiffin single in the seventh finally broke up the no-no. Eads went on to match a career high with 15 Ks to eventually earn the complete-game win.
 
With both team scoreless through seven frames, the Midwest rivals went into extras knotted at 0-0. With the international tiebreaker rule now in effect, Tiffin got on the board first with an RBI double in the top of the eighth. But the Hounds responded with a timely single from Shelby Cook in the bottom half to score Emma Piercy and extend the game.
 
After Eads pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, the decisive run came home on a pair of sacrifices. Peyton Cusack's pinch-hit bunt moved Abbey Brown to third before Maya Rodriguez brought her home with a deep flyout to left.
 
Leadoff-hitter Brooklyn Willis started the season with a single and a stolen base, junior Cara Cooper managed a single and a walk, while junior-transfer Paige Vickery recorded a base hit in her first plate appearance as a Hound.
 
GAME 2 | UIndy 9, Tiffin 4
In contrast to the slow start offensively to game one, the Hounds came out of the gate swinging, hanging two runs on the board in each of the first three innings. The Dragons crept to within two runs after four innings but would not get any closer before UIndy put them away with three runs in the top of the seventh.
 
Freshman pitcher Caitlin Bunte earned her first collegiate win in the circle, tossing a complete game while allowing zero earned runs. She surrendered three hits and three walks while striking out five in seven innings.
 
Shelby Cook had a productive game at the plate out of the No. 8 spot. The senior first baseman racked up two hits, two runs and two ribbies, including an RBI triple in the third. The hit was good for her 13th career three-bagger, moving her into a tie for second in the program's annals.
 
Paige Vickery contributed two RBIs and two walks, Cara Cooper scored twice, and Josie Jager added a pinch-hit single and a run in the seventh.
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds conclude their time in the Music City on Saturday against two more GMAC opponents. UIndy will face off against Ashland starting at 11 a.m., followed immediately by a meeting with Kentucky Wesleyan.