INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana State softball swept a road doubleheader against IUPUI on Wednesday afternoon at the IUPUI Softball Complex.
 
The Sycamores took game one 4-1 while winning the second game by a score of 2-1. ISU is now 10-11 on the season heading into Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
The pair of wins grows the Sycamores all-time record to 40-20 against the Jaguars.
 
Game One
The Sycamores struggled to get the bats going early and trailed by a run heading into the sixth inning.
 
Isabella Henning continued to swing a hot bat, doubling to right center in the opening frame but that would be the only ISU offense in the inning. IUPUI would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first with a leadoff solo shot by Kennedy Cowan.
 
Indiana State had only two other baserunners prior to the sixth, a single from TeAnn Bringle and a walk by Kennedy Shade. After a pair of strikeouts from starter Lexi Benko, the Sycamores came to the plate in the top of the sixth where they would explode for four runs in the inning.
 
Danielle Henning hit the first home run of her collegiate career to start the scoring and tie the game at one. Isabella Henning drew a walk and was pinch ran for by Hannah Welch who would come around to score on an Annie Tokarek RBI double which gave ISU a 2-1 lead. After an IUPUI pitching change, Morgan Goodrich pinch ran for Tokarek at second. Kennedy Shade then launched her first home run of the 2023 season to make it a 4-1 game.
 
For Tokarek, it was her team-leading 13^th RBI of the season.
 
Maeve McDonough and Olivia Patton both singled in the seventh, giving Indiana State seven hits on the afternoon but the Sycamores couldn't get another run across.
 
Lexi Benko worked into the seventh, getting two outs before being replaced by Lauren Sackett who came on to close out the Jaguars. Sackett got a strikeout to pick up her third save of the year.  Benko ended her afternoon with four strikeouts and the win improves her record to 4-3 on the season.
 
Game Two
Indiana State struck first in game two, scoring two runs in the opening frame. A trio of walks loaded the bases and a passed ball and a wild pitch allowed Olivia Patton and Isabella Henning to score to put ISU up 2-0.
 
Cassi Newbanks started for the Sycamores and worked around a leadoff single to sit down the Jaguars in the first inning.
 
Still leading 2-0 to begin the third, Olivia Patton walked and reached third after a Danielle Henning SAC bunt and a stolen base but IUPUI got two-straight strikeouts to retire the Sycamores. Newbanks continued her strong outing, stranding a runner on second to keep it a 2-0 game after three complete.
 
IUPUI got on the board in the fourth inning, scoring on an RBI single to make it 2-1 after a hit by pitch and walk put runners on. Cassi Newbanks got a swinging strikeout to limit the damage and end the inning, stranding runners on second and third. Prior to the bottom of the fifth, Newbanks was replaced by Hailey Griffin who mowed down the Jaguar lineup striking out two in the fifth and three in the sixth.
 
The Sycamores did not get their first hit of the game until the top of the sixth, a leadoff infield single from Danielle Henning. Kennedy Shade also singled in the inning but ISU left a pair of runners on base and did not score.
 
Abi Chipps reached on an error in the seventh, but that would be the only action for the Sycamores in the frame. IUPUI came up for one final crack at the plate, but Griffin remained in command, setting down the Jaguars to complete the doubleheader sweep. Newbanks picks up her third win of the season, throwing four innings and allowing just one unearned run. Griffin picks up the save, the first of her career, while recording six strikeouts in three innings of work.
 
Up Next
The Sycamores will welcome UIC to Price Field this weekend to begin MVC play. A three-game series is currently scheduled to begin Friday at 3 p.m. ET but the schedule may be altered due to impending weather.
 
For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.