COLUMBUS, Ind. - The IU Columbus softball team had another challenging road trip Tuesday (Apr. 15) evening, dropping both games of a River States Conference doubleheader against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Despite a valiant late-game rally in the opener, the Crimson Pride fell short in a 5-4 contest before struggling in the nightcap in a 9-1 loss that was called after six innings.
Game 1: SMWC 5, IU Columbus 4
IU Columbus jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Taylor York scored on Mallory Shelton's RBI double. However, the Crimson Pride couldn't build on their advantage as SMWC pitcher Madison Moultray settled in, limiting the IU Columbus offense to just three hits through the first five innings.
Meanwhile, the Pomeroys chipped away at Erica Henry, who pitched 4.2 innings for IU Columbus. The hosts tied the game in the second inning before taking the lead with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The wheels came off for the Crimson Pride defense in the fifth inning when three unearned runs crossed the plate following defensive miscues, giving Saint Mary-of-the-Woods a 5-1 lead.
Down to their final at-bats in the seventh inning, IU Columbus mounted an impressive comeback against SMWC reliever Emily Fitzwater. Jazlynn Stewart scored on a wild pitch before Taylor York drove in Hannah Taylor with a single. Izzy Johnson followed with another RBI single to bring the Crimson Pride within one run at 5-4. However, with the tying run on base, Fitzwater managed to secure the final out, preserving the win for the Pomeroys.
To lead the IU Columbus offense, Hannah Taylor finished 2-for-4 and scored one run, while Taylor York had two stolen bases and two runs scored. The Crimson Pride left eight runners on base in the loss.
Game 2: SMWC 9, IU Columbus 1
The second game saw the Pomeroys take control early, scoring one run in the first inning before breaking the game open with a five-run third. Jaidyn Fuller's two-run homer was the highlight of the outburst as the hosts built a 6-0 lead.
IU Columbus struggled to generate offense against Alex Overman, who held the Crimson Pride hitless through four innings while striking out four. The SMWC lead grew to 7-0 in the fourth before Olivia Bright provided the lone bright spot for IU Columbus with a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods responded immediately with two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth to invoke the run rule and complete the sweep.
Justice Cash started in the circle for IU Columbus, allowing six hits and three earned runs over three innings. The Crimson Pride cycled through four pitchers in the contest but couldn't slow the Pomeroys' offense, which collected 11 hits.
Looking Ahead
With the pair of losses, IU Columbus falls to 12-24 overall and 9-15 in River States Conference play. The team will look to bounce back in their next series as they fight to stay in conference tournament contention.
The Crimson Pride travel to WVU Tech for two doubleheaders, kicking the series off on Thursday (Apr. 17). The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM.
