Valparaiso pushed the game-winning run across the plate in the
top of the seventh in the nightcap Monday in Indianapolis, Ind.
to earn an 8-7 victory over IUPUI and salvage a doubleheader split. The Jaguars defeated the Crusaders in the
opener, 10-1.
Valpo got the scoring going
in the day’s second game right away, as Ashley
Wolter (Denver, Iowa/Denver) stepped up with two outs in the top of the
first and smashed a two-run homer, her fourth of the season, to give the
Crusaders a 2-0 lead. The Jaguars cut
the lead in half in the bottom of the second when a pair of Valpo errors
combined to score Chelsie Hale.
The Crusaders responded in a
big way, putting a five spot on the scoreboard in the top of the third. The first six batters of the inning all
reached base safely, with Wolter, Joylyn
Ichiyama (Torrance, Calif./Redondo
Union), Alex Lagesse (Beecher, Ill./Beecher)
and Whitney Warner (Greenwood, Ind./Center
Grove) all tallying RBI singles. With
the score 6-1, Amy Raker came in out of the bullpen with none out for IUPUI and
registered two quick outs, but Jill
Jacobson (Beecher, Ill./Beecher) delivered an RBI double to push the
advantage to 7-1.
IUPUI answered right back
with four runs of their own, as with the bases loaded, Hale lined a hit into
left field that took a bad hop all the way to the fence for a 3-run triple,
while Hale would come around to score as well on an error to cut the lead to
7-5. The Jaguars plated a run on a wild
pitch in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth to knot the score at seven.
With the score tied, Ichiyama
got the Crusader rally started in the top of the seventh with a double to
left-center field. Lagesse followed with
a walk, after which Kelsey Phalen (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) pinch-ran for
Ichiyama. Two batters later, the Jaguars
looked to have an inning-ending double play turned, but the second baseman’s
relay sailed wide of first base, allowing Phalen to cross the plate with the
go-ahead run. Stephanie Kelly (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield)
set down the Jaguars 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the frame, retiring the final
two batters via strikeout, to close out the game.
Kelly earned the
complete-game victory for Valpo, allowing just three earned runs while striking
out nine Jaguar hitters, improving to 5-3 on the season. Amy Raker took the loss for IUPUI in five
innings of relief, giving up just the lone unearned run. Ichiyama led the Crusader offense with three
hits as they rapped out 13 hits on the ballgame.
In the opener, the Jaguars
pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first to take the early
advantage. Valpo struck back with a
single tally in the second, as Phalen and Ichiyama led off the inning with
back-to-back walks. Lisa DeBruzzi (Carlisle, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) stepped in and
delivered an RBI single through the left side to plate Phalen. But IUPUI scored six in the third inning, including
a grand slam by Laura Wilcox, and went on to the run-rule victory.
Shaleigh Jansen (Ottawa, Ill./Ottawa Township) took the
loss for Valpo, falling to 1-2 after giving up six runs, five earned, in
three-plus innings of work. Raker earned
the relief victory for IUPUI (3-25).
Valparaiso (16-7) returns to action Wednesday as the Crusaders
head to DeKalb, Ill.
to take on Northern Illinois. First pitch of the twinbill is slated for 3
p.m., and all the action can be heard live on WVUR, 95.1 FM, Valparaiso and online at www.valpoathletics.com, which will
also have a link for live stats.
