BRIGHTON, Mich. – The Indiana University South Bend softball team dropped three games at the Concordia University Dome Tournament, Friday, March 5. The Titans dropped a 5-3 decision against host Concordia before falling 4-1 to Aquinas and 8-1 Madonna, who is currently receiving votes for the NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll.
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Game One (CU 5, IUSB 3) – In her first outing as a Titan, freshman
Nichole VanZant (0-1) threw all 5.0 innings, giving up eight hits and recording four strikeouts.
Savanna Schmitz,
Haylie Williamson and
Morgan Stuckey provided IUSB's three runs of the game.
Indiana University South Bend grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Schmitz scored off an error by the left fielder. The Cardinals responded with two of their own in the top of the second before freshman
Morgan Stuckey hit her first collegiate homerun and the first for IUSB this season.
Both teams would add a run in the third before the host school added two in the final fifth inning to seal the victory.
Game Two (AQ 4, IUSB 1) – The Titans fell behind 2-0 through the first three innings of Friday's game two after conceding a pair of runs in the first and third that led to the loss.
IUSB put together a consistent at bat in the top of the fifth when Williamson scored from second off a double from Myars as the junior collected her first RBI of the season and second extra base hit through five games.
In her second start of the year,
Macie Couch (0-2) suffered the loss after pitching 3.0 innings that saw four runs, three hits, six walks and a Saint strikeout. Senior
Aly Brickel pitched the final inning, allowing one hit.
Game Three (MU 8, IUSB 1) – Schmitz got the offense started in the top of the first with a lead-off double to left center and was brought around by a pitcher throwing error.
The nationally recognized Crusaders would then respond with eight runs of their own in the next half inning.
Becca Stevens (0-2) pitched just two outs in the final game of the day that saw eight runs off eight hits while the senior struck out one Madonna batter.
Brickel threw the remaining 2.1 innings, allowing just two hits while collecting one strikeout and one walk against nine Crusaders.
IU South Bend returns home for the first time Saturday, March 6 since April 23, 2019 when its hosts Huntington University for a doubleheader out at the Potawatomi Field. First pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.
