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The UIS softball team battled hard in a doubleheader against Findlay on Monday in Westfield, Ind., but the Prairie Stars ultimately fell short in both games despite strong offensive performances.
Game One | L, 14-9
- UIS took an early lead in the first inning as Ella Brinkley scored on an RBI groundout by Isabella Wilson. However, Findlay responded in the second with an inside-the-park home run, leveling the game at 1-1.
- A nine-run third inning by Findlay proved to be the difference-maker, as M. Heinsman's three-run homer ignited an offensive explosion that saw Findlay send 13 batters to the plate.
- UIS fought back, with Taylor Zawacki and Malia Bender each delivering RBI triples in the bottom half of the inning, but the Prairie Stars still trailed 10-3.
- UIS continued to chip away at the deficit, with Lilly Hurt and Rosie Bartletti driving in runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
- A late sacrifice fly by Bartletti in the seventh brought the Prairie Stars within five, but Findlay's early advantage held firm. Zawacki finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while three others had two hits.
- UIS hit nine triples in the game, a significant single-game program record.
Game Two | L 10-9
- The second game of the doubleheader saw another tight contest, with UIS battling back after a slow start but falling 10-9 to Findlay.
- Findlay grabbed the early lead in the first inning when Heinsman singled in a run, followed by a massive four-RBI inside-the-park home run by Kelsey Woods in the second, putting them ahead 5-0. Heinsman's double and Navarro's RBI single later in the second extended the lead to 7-0.
- The Prairie Stars responded in the fourth inning with a run from Brinkley's double and a sacrifice fly from Lilly Hurt, making it 7-1. The offense exploded in the fifth with Brinkley's inside-the-park home run, driving in three additional runs to narrow the gap to 7-6. UIS added two more runs, on an RBI triple from Bartletti and a single from Jillian Lane.
- However, Findlay's Woods came through again in the seventh inning with a two-RBI triple, putting the game away with a 10-9 final score.
With a 5-7 record, the team will play at home for the first time this year, hosting the Springfield Invitational from Friday to Sunday next weekend.