MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Indiana State dropped a pair of games on Friday to open their weekend at the Tiger Classic hosted by the University of Memphis at the Tiger Softball Complex.
 
The Sycamores (7-9) fell in a close contest to Pittsburgh, 2-1, to begin the day and lost 10-9 to the host Tigers to close out Friday's action.
 
Game One
Indiana State fell behind early as the Panthers went up 1-0 after the first inning with a pair of doubles. Lexi Benko, who started for the Sycamores, was able to strand runners on second and third with a strikeout to limit the Pitt damage in the opening frame.
 
The Sycamore bats struggled early with Isabella Henning's leadoff double in the second inning marking the only ISU hit through two innings. Benko kept it a one-run game after two innings with a 1-2-3 frame in the second.
 
Cassie Thomerson reached on an infield inning to begin the third to give the Sycamores their second hit of the afternoon. With two outs in the frame, Danielle Henning added the second hit of the inning with another infield single. Following a wild pitch, ISU had runners on second and third but were unable to cash in as Pitt retired the side.
 
After Benko sat the Panthers down in order again in the third, Indiana State got their offense going to begin the fourth. Isabella Henning led off the frame with a walk followed by a single by Kennedy Shade. Kaylee Barrett then tied up the game with a RBI single which scored Henning. A groundout and a pickoff got the Panthers two quick outs and brought up Cassie Thomerson for ISU. Thomerson drew a two-out walk to put two runners on but Pitt got a strikeout to get out of the inning.
 
Pittsburgh drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and subsequently stole second, putting the Panthers inn scoring position with nobody out. After a steal of third, Pitt would go up 2-1 with a one-out infield single. Benko got a pair of flyouts to retire the side.
 
Leading off the sixth inning, Isabella Henning got her second hit of the day with a single to right field. After a Kennedy Shade sacrifice bunt, Indiana State stranded pinch-runner Morgan Goodrich on second as Pitt remained in the lead 2-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
 
Benko was replaced in the circle by Cassi Newbanks to begin the sixth, giving her a final line of five innings of work, striking out four while allowing two runs on just three hits and one walk. Newbanks worked a scoreless frame in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Indiana State went down in order to give Pitt the 2-1 victory in the opening game of the Tiger Classic.
 
The Sycamores finished with a game-high six hits while the Panthers had four.
 
Game Two
The second game of the day for Indiana State featured much more offense. The Sycamores scored four runs in the top of the first and then gave up three in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-3 lead into the second inning.
 
Olivia Patton and Danielle Henning started the inning with back-to-back singles. Annie Tokarek delivered a third-straight hit for the Sycamores to score Patton and put ISU up 1-0. Isabella Henning followed Tokarek with a RBI single of her own, scoring her sister Danielle and extending the ISU lead to two. Kennedy Shade made it 3-0 on a fielder's choice and moved to third on a Kaylee Barrett double. TeAnn bringle put the Sycamores up 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to round up the scoring in the inning.
 
Lauren Sackett started in the circle for ISU, allowing three runs in the opening frame on a three-run shot to left field. She struck out her second batter of the inning to retire the side and keep the Sycamores in the lead 4-3. Both teams were scoreless in the second, with Memphis getting a lone baserunner via a walk.
 
Isabella Henning picked up her fourth hit of the weekend with a single to leadoff the third. The Sycamores would load the bases in the frame but Memphis was able to get a popup to escape any damage. Memphis would take the lead in the bottom of the  third, hitting a pair of home runs to go up 6-4. Sackett picked up two more strikeouts in the inning to bring her total to four for the game.
 
ISU went down in order in the fourth, bringing Memphis to the plate in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers would face Hailey Griffin who replaced Sackett after three innings of work. Griffin worked a scoreless frame including a strikeout to keep it a 6-4 game after four innings.
 
To lead off the fifth, Isabella Henning collected her fifth hit of the day with a double. After a Kennedy Shade hit by pitch, Kaylee Barrett blasted a three-run home run to left field, the first of her collegiate career, to put Indiana State up 7-6. Memphis appeared to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning but a runner trying to tag from third was called out for leaving early which took the run off the board.
 
Cassi Newbanks replaced Griffin prior to the sixth and worked a 1-2-3 inning to keep the Sycamore lead intact. Indiana State would grow their lead in the top of the seventh. Isabella Henning and Kennedy Shade singled to put a pair of runners on for Kaylee Barrett who continued her career day with a 2-RBI double to put ISU up 9-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Memphis would score four runs in the bottom of the frame to claim a walk-off win over the Sycamores.

Kaylee Barrett finished with a career-high 5 RBI and Isabella Henning went a perfect 4-4 as the Sycamores collected 11 hits in the loss. Henning is now 6-6 at the Tiger Classic. 
 
Up Next
Indiana State takes on North Alabama (10 a.m. ET) and Memphis (3 p.m. ET) on day two of the Tiger Classic.

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