GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Green Bay softball team came up just short in an offensive slugfest against IUPUI at King Park on Friday, losing 8-7. The Jaguars took the overall series 2-1. There were multiple rain delays in Friday's contest, with first pitch and the final out spanning around five hours and forty minutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
IUPUI got on the board first, tallying three runs in the opening inning. Kennedy Cowan and Kendal Calvert each drew a walk to begin the frame. Both advanced on a wild pitch, but Cowan was thrown out at home by Sam Saloun on a fielder's choice. The first run was scored on a Kayla Freiberg single to left field that scored Calvert. Kasie Keyes split the left-center gap for a two-RBI double, giving the Jaguars an early 3-0 lead.
Green Bay had a chance to pounce on offense in each of the first two innings but couldn't cash in. Tiffany Giese and Randi McKay each drew a base on balls before Jadin Justman grounded into a double play in the first and then Giese grounded out to strand the bases loaded in the second.
GB would tally their first run of the day in the bottom of the third when Aidyn Messman was gifted a five-pitch walk. Lauren Porter would draw another walk for another run, pulling the Phoenix within one. With the score at 3-2 in favor of IUPUI, and the bases loaded, Kelly Greene was scheduled to hit, but a rain delay would ensued and delayed that game for two hours and 55 minutes.
Green Bay kept the pressure on after the delay, notching two more runs in the bottom of the third and taking a 4-3 lead into the fourth inning. All four of Green Bay's runs were off of bases-loaded walks.
The Jaguars would respond immediately, putting a three spot on the board at the top of the fourth to retake the lead at 6-4. Cowan ripped a base hit down the left-field line, scoring Hass and Kennedy Warbritton, who pinch-ran for Jordan Jenkins. A few batters later, Gregory hit a sharp grounder at Justman, who couldn't handle it, which scored Speth. GB answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame thanks to several Jaguar defensive miscues. Messmann had a hotshot at Victoria Sivert, who couldn't make the throw in time, scoring Justman to get GB back within one. Later, Porter reached on a Keyes fielding error, bringing in Messmann and Paige Hanson to give Green Bay a 7-6 lead.
IUPUI responded again in the fifth inning when Keyes blasted a leadoff home run to center, tying the game again at seven. The Phoenix was held scoreless in the bottom half of the frame, and IUPUI retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Jenkins cracked an RBI single to left field, giving the Jaguars an 8-7 advantage.
Green Bay put the tying run on base and brought the winning run to the plate twice in the seventh, but fell short at 8-7.
GAME NOTES
» There were four lead changes.
» The Phoenix drew 15 walks from IUPUI pitching, a season-high
» Despite scoring seven runs, the Phoenix collected just three hits.
» Tiffany Giese finished with one hit, and is five hits away from breaking Green Bay's career hits record.
» Porter tallied three of GB's six RBIs.
» IUPUI was led offensively by Keyes, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBI.
COMING UP
The Phoenix will begin a three-city, eight-game road trip next Friday when they visit the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. Green Bay will follow with a doubleheader at St. Thomas on April 11 before heading to Cleveland State to battle the Vikings on April 14 and 15. GB's next home game is Friday, April 21 against Youngstown State.
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