SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A walk-off base hit from senior outfielder Shelby Baker highlighted a doubleheader sweep on Thursday, as IU South Bend secured their spot in next week’s CCAC Tournament with a pair of victories over Calumet at Dick Pfeil Field.
The Titans (17-23, 8-10 CCAC) earned a 3-2 win in extra innings after Baker’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 8th, before an 8-4 victory in the nightcap clinched a postseason berth.
In the first game of the day, Calumet (15-21, 9-11 CCAC) struck first with a two-RBI single in the top of the 4th. After Baker’s leadoff single in the bottom of the 5th the Titans would get on the board on a Calumet throwing error to cut the deficit to 2-1. IU South Bend would tie the game in the 6th as the first three Titans in the inning would reach base, and Baker’s fielder’s choice brought home Maddie Leisher for the 2-2 tie.
In the bottom of the 8th, Emily Cave and Leisher led off with back-to-back singles and Emily Anglin would reach on error to load the bases. Two batters later, Baker would send a fly ball to center for the sacrifice to secure the win.
Baker finished with two RBI in the win, going 1-for-3 at the plate, while Cave reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk. Maddy Edwards secured the win, pitching all eight innings and striking out six while working around eight hits and a pair of earned runs, for her team-leading fifth win of the season.
Calumet would again take an early lead in game two, posting the first run of the game in the top of the 1st, then adding three more in the 2nd for a 4-0 advantage. In the bottom of the 3rd, IU South Bend would take control, scoring a total of seven runs on eight hits including a game-tying two-RBI double from Baker and RBI singles from Haley Fair and Kaylee Darnell.
IU South Bend would add another run in the 6th, when Cave’s groundout would score Darnell for the 8-4 advantage.
Darnell finished 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored in the second game, while Leisher and Savanna Schmitz both went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run in the win. Abby Yarnell earned the complete-game win, striking out two and allowing three earned runs on the day.
With the win, the Titans secure at least the No. 8 seed in the CCAC Tournament, beginning next Thursday in Crown Point, Ind., IUSB still has six games on the regular season slate and can improve their seed beginning with a doubleheader at Judson on Friday afternoon. First pitch from Elgin, Ill. is set for 3:00 p.m.
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