MARTIN, TN ? The Indiana State softball team picked up a win against conference foe Northern Iowa but dropped two games to Ball State and host Tennessee-Martin on the first day of the UT-Martin Tournament.
In game one versus Ball State, the Cardinals earned all five of their runs against sophomore pitcher Meagan McCurdy. Indiana State put one runner across the plate in the third inning. With runners on second and third, freshmen Leslie Fakes hit a sacrifice fly to center field to pick up her team-leading fifth RBI of the season. The Sycamores could only muster one run against the Cardinals as they fell in their first game 5-1.
In game two, Indiana State squared off against Missouri Valley Conference member the University of Northern Iowa defeating them 7-6. The teams played two scoreless innings before the Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the second. The Sycamores got one run back thanks to Fakes once again who hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the second inning.
Indiana State added three more runs in the fourth inning to take the 4-2 go ahead lead. Senior Katie Iocoangeli started off the inning by hitting a solo homerun to center field. Again, with two runners on, Fakes came up big for the third time hitting a single to center field, scoring two runs.
The Panthers would tie it up in the top of the fifth scoring two unearned runs against senior pitcher Darcy Wood who recently returned from a shoulder injury. That tie was short-lived as the Sycamores answered with their third homerun of the game by junior Meredith Simpson which gave Indiana State two more runs, making it a 6-4 game.
Once again, the Panthers tied up the game 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning before the Sycamores had their final at bat. Katie Armour singled to left center followed by a double from junior transfer Britt Boyer. Simpson then became the hero as she hit a shot to left field, picking up the game-winning RBI.
In game three, the Sycamores squared off against host UT-Martin. Indiana State would take the initial 1-0 lead before UT-Martin came away with a three-run fourth inning to come from behind for the win. Laurie Lindow hit a bases loaded double down the right foul line to bring in all three of the Skyhawks' runs.
The Sycamores will play two more ballgames tomorrow against Dartmouth (10:00 am) and Minnesota (12:30 pm).
