| Box Score 2

Summit League Softball Championship Central (Updated May 8)

FARGO, N.D.--IUPUI designated player Taylor Chitwood went 5-for-5 with six runs batted in and the Jaguars scored nine times over the final two innings to defeat top-seed North Dakota State 15-8 on the second day of the Summit League Softball Championship Tournament played on a cold and windy Thursday, May 8, at the Ellig Sports Complex. The game was interrupted by a 1-hour, 45-minute rain delay.

NDSU (30-16) is scheduled to play South Dakota (29-21) in a loser's bracket game at 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 9. IUPUI (24-22) advances to play Fort Wayne (39-13) in a winner's bracket game at 3 p.m. The Mastodons came back to edge USD 9-8 in Thursday's first game. The schedule Friday has been adjusted. South Dakota State (11-35) plays Western Illinois (18-27-1) in a loser's bracket game at 10 a.m. Friday. A loser's bracket game closes out Friday's schedule at 5:30 p.m. between the winners of the NDSU-USD and SDSU-WIU games.

Updated Summit League Championship Tournament Schedule
Friday, May 9
Game 5: South Dakota State (11-35) vs. Western Illinois (18-27-1), 10 a.m.
Game 6: South Dakota (29-21) vs. North Dakota State (30-16), 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: Fort Wayne (39-13) vs. IUPUI (24-22), 3 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 10
Game 9: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner, TBA
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, TBA
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, TBA (if necessary)

IUPUI raced out to a 6-1 lead. Chitwood doubled in a pair of runs in the first inning. Maggie Good added a sacrifice fly to extended the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third after Bison third baseman Amanda Grable reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second.

The Jaguars widened the margin to 6-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Eryn Dillon scored on a wild pitch, Chitwood stroked a run-scoring single and Sarah Lawrence added a sacrifice fly.

North Dakota State rallied with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim the lead to 6-4. Jenina Ortega and Grable hit back-to-back home runs with one out, and Brandi Enriquez plated the other run with a hot smash off the third baseman. For Ortega, it was her team-leading eighth home run of the season. Grable cracked her seventh.

The Bison regained the lead at 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jackie Stifter delivered a bases-loaded two-run single to left with two outs and Grable scored on a throwing error during that sequence. Alex Sobrero led NDSU with two singles and a double, while Stifter and Grable each added two hits.

IUPUI responded by scoring nine runs over the next two innings. Chitwood hit a RBI single in the sixth and added a two-run home run in the seventh. Good hit a three-run home run to left in the sixth for the Jaguars, while Lawrence's solo home run closed out the scoring in the seventh.

The Jaguars outhit NDSU 13-11. Ali Mosier went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored, while Good went 2-for-3 with four RBI.

Jocelyn Oppenhuis (10-10) re-entered the game to pick up the win for IUPUI. Oppenhius allowed five hits, two earned runs, struck out two and issued no walks. Cassie Vodde allowed six hits, four earned runs and walked two.

Krista Menke (23-7), Katie Thun and Tabby Bayers pitched for the Bison with Menke recording the loss. The trio combined to strike out 10, surrender nine earned runs and walk six.

In Thursday's opener, a bases-loaded walk to Dani Pugh in the bottom of the seventh pushed across the winning run for Fort Wayne. The Mastodons scored six unanswered runs over the final two innings.

South Dakota built an 8-3 lead after six innings before Fort Wayne staged the comeback. Lindsey Boyd, Katie Dinning. Allie Daly and Katie Cochran all hit home runs for the Coyotes in a game that featured six long balls overall. Boyd and Daly each hit solo home runs, Dinning's was a two-run shot and Cochran launched a three-run homer. Dinning and Daly each had two hits.

The Mastodons tied the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Larissa Franklin provided a big lift with a grand slam home run to right. A catcher's interference call sent home the game-tying run. Franklin went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored to pace Fort Wayne, which took advantage of seven walks, six hits, three hit batters and two walks. Ashleigh Bousquet added a two-run home run in the fifth for IPFW.

Megan Flenniken (18-5) worked the final 2.1 innings in relief of Miranda Kramer to pick up the win for Fort Wayne. Flenniken allowed four hits and four runs, struck out four and walked two. Kramer struck out seven, gave up three hits and walked two.

Rachel Cue (18-10) and Madison Frain pitched for South Dakota with Cue recording the loss. Cue struck out 11 batters, issued six walks and allowed three hits.