Purdue Fort Wayne
IUPUI
Mastodons Take Series with 3-0 Win over IUPUI
5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 1, 2010
Indianapolis, IN – IPFW pitcher Courtney Cronin threw her 11th shutout of the season, and 16th of her career, scattering four hits over seven innings, striking out four as the Mastodons took the season series from the IUPUI Jaguars with a 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Each of IPFW’s seven hits in the game came from different batters, with Cassie Wolfe hitting her ninth home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning, driving in a pair.
IPFW continues to add to their school-record win total, as the team improves to 26-17 on the season, and 15-6 in Summit League play. IUPUI falls to 14-36, and 9-12 in conference games.
The Mastodons reached the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the third inning, when Amber Pierce opened the inning with a single to left field, was advanced to second on a groundout by Kristina Karpun, and was chased home on a base hit to right-center field by Sara Hopwood.
Cronin had her no-hit bid snapped in the bottom of the fifth inning when Joy Perry hit a two-out infield single, which was followed by a single to left field by Sydney Miller putting a runner in scoring position, but she was left stranded when Kelsey Rupert grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.
The Mastodons added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning when Wolfe hit her third home run of the series, and ninth of the season, driving home herself and Cronin, who hit a two-out single to start the rally.
IUPUI threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out rally, as Laura Wilcox and Joy Perry had back-to-back hits, before Joy Miller walked to load the bases; however, Rupert ended the game when she grounded out to Ava Hall at third base, clinching the shutout win for the Mastodons.
Perry had half of her team’s four hits for the Jaguars, as Bumbaugh fell to 0-2 against IPFW over the weekend, picking up the loss after pitching the first six innings of the game, allowing three earned runs and striking out five while allowing six hits.
The win ends the currently scheduled regular season for IPFW, as the team has clinched a spot in the Summit League Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota, hosted by North Dakota State University.
~Dons~
