Grenadiers Advance To Face Rio Grande With RSC Championship Game Berth On The Line

KOKOMO, Ind. – The IU Southeast softball team staved off elimination twice on Friday and advanced to the finals of the loser's bracket Saturday at 10 a.m. vs RSC regular season champion Rio Grande.

The Grenadiers and RedStorm opened Friday with another rivalry matchup, and the RedStorm defeated IU Southeast 6-2.

Rio Grande took a 2-0 lead in the third inning and broke the game open with a four-run sixth. The Grenadiers scored twice in the seventh: Ellie Jackman hit her ninth home run of the season to left-center and Katie Cook came around to score on a throwing error.

Ellie Jackman and Erin Templeman each had three hits in the loss.

That loss sent the Grenadiers to the loser's bracket where they took on No. 2 seed Ohio Christian.

IU Southeast scored once in each of the first two innings and doubled the lead with a pair of runs in the third.

Hayley McFarling singled to center to score Haley Smith and Erin Templeman and she advanced to third on an error.

Macie Zink extended the lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

The Trailblazers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth but the game was halted due to lightning for almost two hours.

Meghan Waggoner came on in relief and allowed just a RBI single to limit the damage.

The Grenadiers answered with two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to put the game away.

In the sixth, Jackman doubled, stole third and scored on a RBI double by Brooklyn Gibbs. Lindsey Nelson drove in Gibbs with a single.

In the seventh, Jackman drove in another run with a sacrifice fly and then Katie Cook reached base on a throwing error which allowed Zink and McFarling to score.

Meghan Waggoner worked the final three and two-thirds innings for her first postseason win.

She allowed three runs on five hits, walked one and struck out three.

Brooklyn Gibbs and Hayley McFarling each had three hits in the win and Zink and McFarling each drove in two. Haley Smith scored three times.

IU Southeast faced another elimination game against Point Park.

IU Southeast took a 1-0 lead when Brooklyn Gibbs hit a solo home run to left in the bottom of the first but the Pioneers answered back with two runs in the top of the second when Jada Simon hit a two-run home run to right-center.

IU Southeast scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Erin Templeman doubled to drive in Katie Templeman.

Then Brooklyn Gibbs came through with a two-run single to score McFarling and Smith.

Macie Zink followed with a single and Gibbs was able to score on an error.

Ellie Jackman knocked in two runs with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third with another RBI double.

The Pioneers chipped away with a pair of runs in the fifth inning but Lindsey Nelson got a run back for the Grenadiers with a RBI single in the sixth.

Hannah Nunemaker got the complete-game win for her first postseason victory. She allowed four runs, two earned on three hits, walked one and struck out five.

Lindsey Nelson had three hits and Brooklyn Gibbs had two hits, drove in three and scored twice.