BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Indiana State Softball stormed back from an early lead in the opener against Wright State in the morning and kept the momentum moving in a massive nightcap win over Austin Peay in five innings to wrap up ISU's stay at the WKU Hilltopper Spring Fling on Saturday.
 
Indiana State improves to 5-4 on the season with two very solid tournament outings under their belt – now including a 3-1 trip to WKU this weekend.
 
"We continued to grow as a team and improve on the small things that will make us a tough team," said ISU head coach Shane Bouman. "We did a nice job of moving the ball this weekend and found a way to win despite some adversity along the way."
 
Combined, the Sycamores exploded for 36 runs on 42 hits in four games this weekend – including two grand slams. Having the biggest weekends offensively were newcomers Brooke Mann (5-10, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1.100 slugging percentage) and Gabi Carter (5-13, 3 2B, HR, 7 RBI), who combined to bat .435 and knock in 16 of ISU's 36 runs this weekend.
 
Also having a stellar weekend was pitcher Kenzie Ihle, who went 3-1 as she earned all four of ISU's decisions. In 17.1 innings pitched this weekend, Ihle struck out 18 and held opposing batters to a .288 batting average.
 
Up next for the Sycamores is stop number three in the non-conference tournament tour to Louisville on Mar. 3-5 for the Red & Black Tournament, with games vs. Bowling Green, Wisconsin-Green Bay and the host Louisville. The Sycamores went 0-2 against the Cardinals out in Las Vegas two weeks ago by a deficit of only two runs, falling 6-5 in extra innings before a 1-0 pitcher's duel in the finale.
 
Game One:
Indiana State (4-4), 4
Wright State (2-6), 2
WP: Kenzie Ihle (3-2)
LP: Lauren Deitrick (0-3)
 
It was all Wright State (2-6) through four innings until a Leslie Sims inside-the-park grand slam burst the game open and gave the Sycamores (4-4) a lead it held onto for the early-morning victory.
 
Wright State's Lauren Deitrick (0-3) was dealing through those first four innings, yielding only two hits to the Sycamores along the way until the explosive rally in the fifth. Senior Erika Crissman started it off with a walk, followed by two bunt singles by Kassie Brown (1-2) and Bailey Martin (2-3) to load the bases for Sims, who cleared the bases with a momentum-swinging inside-the-park grand slam. The home run was a first for the freshman Sims, and the first grand slam for the Sycamores in 2017.
 
That was all starter Kenzie Ihle (3-2) needed, as she went back out to the circle to shut down WSU in the sixth and the seventh for the complete game victory. Ihle struck out four while allowing two earned runs, pushing her weekend total at that point to 15 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched.
 
Game Two (five innings):
Indiana State (5-4), 17
Austin Peay (4-3), 5
WP: Kenzie Ihle (4-2)
LP: Kelsey Gross (2-2)
 
Indiana State (5-4) didn't wait for theatrics this time around, jumping out to a fast 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first over Austin Peay (4-3) and never looking back en route to a five-inning 17-5 win.
 
In the first frame, the Sycamores got up early on an RBI single by freshman Becky Malchow (2-3, RBI), a throwing error and then a two-run single by senior Brooke Riemenschneider (2-2, 3 RBI).
 
In the second, ISU blew the game out of reach to 10-1 with an RBI single by senior Rylee Holland (3-3, RBI) and a Brooke Mann sac-fly (1-2, HR, SF, 4 RBI), topped off by a grand slam by Gabi Carter (1-3, HR, 5 RBI). Carter's shot was the second grand slam by the Sycamores on the day and her first career round-tripper at Indiana State.
 
Indiana State tacked on with RBI walks by Carter and Riemenschneider in the third, followed by a two-run single by Shaye Barton (1-3, 2 RBI). Mann put icing on the cake with a three-run dinger of her own in the fourth inning, a three-run shot to seal the run-rule.
 
Mann currently leads ISU with three homers, 14 RBI and an .833 slugging percentage on the season.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Softball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.