Mother Nature provided a beautiful afternoon at CERA Sports Park for the IU Columbus softball home opener, and the Crimson Pride played like they were in mid-season form as they swept Grace Christian University 11-7 and 7-1. The opening game saw the home team come from behind in the later innings, and they rode that momentum to cruise through the second game for the sweep.

Game 1
Grace Christian opened the scoring with one run in the 2nd. IUC tied it in the bottom half on an RBI single by freshman Genevieve Couse. Senior Mallory Shelton doubled with 2 outs in the 3rd; sophomore Chloe Linn and senior Linnea Baldner followed with singles to give the Crimson Pride the lead 3-1.
The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the 4th, and starting pitcher sophomore Chloe Linn was relieved by sophomore Kaitlyn Spears. The visitors scored 3 to regain the lead 4-3. Grace Christian added a run in the 5th to lead 5-3.
Freshman Sydney Sauri doubled to lead off the bottom of the 5th for the Crimson Pride. One out later Shelton drilled a no-doubt home run over the center field fence to tie the game at 5. Freshman Cierra Cramer walked and Baldner doubled. Both runners scored on an error by the shortstop to give IUC the lead 7-5.
Emma Balkemer doubled in 2 runs for Grace Christian to tie the game with 2 outs in the top of the 6th. Freshman Destiny Forler relieved Spears on the mound and ended the threat to keep the game tied 7-7.
Senior Olivia Bright led off the bottom of the 6th with a single. After a force out at 2nd, senior Renee Lecher walked. Shelton came through again with an RBI single to give the Crimson Pride the lead 8-7. Cramer followed with a single to score Lecher. Sophomore Jazlynn Stewart doubled to score Shelton and Baldner, making the score 11-7 at the end of 6 innings.
Forler retired the side in the 7th to secure the win.

Game 2
Forler got the start on the mound in the second game and pitched a great game. She went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 6 batters and issuing only 1 walk.
Sophomore shortstop Mackenzie Matern got the offense rolling in the top of the 1st with a 1-out single, and she proceeded to steal 2nd. Lecher followed with an RBI single. Shelton collected another RBI with a single, scoring Lecher to give the Crimson Pride a 2-0 lead after the 1st inning. They added 3 more runs in the 2nd on singles by freshman Lily Retz and Matern, sandwiched around a double by senior Justice Cash. 
IUC added 2 more runs in the 5th as Matern led off the inning with her 3rd single of the game, followed by her 2nd stolen base. Senior Alexia Heafner walked, and Forler drilled a 2-run double to make the score 7-1. 
Junior Caile Beikes came in to pitch the 7th inning and close out the game to secure the sweep.

Game notes
Mallory Shelton      4-6  2B  HR  4 RBI
Justice Cash          3-5  2 2B  1 SB
Mackenzie Matern 3-6  2 SB  
Destiny Forler        7.1 IP  1ER  3H  7K  1BB
Linnea Baldner      Defensive Play of the Day robbing a home run at the center field fence

Coach Tommi Stowers:

Next on the schedule
The Crimson Pride open conference play at CERA Sports Park on Friday, May 6 vs West Virginia Tech and Saturday, May 7 vs Rio Grande. Both days are doubleheaders with the first game starting at 12:00.