MARION, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University softball team came up short in a pair of tightly contested games on Wednesday, falling to Indiana Wesleyan University 5-4 in extra innings and 8-6 in Crossroads League play.
 
The Cougars move to 20-18 overall and 11-13 in the conference.
 
In game one, Indiana Wesleyan led 1-0 through three innings before the contest turned into a back-and-forth battle. Spring Arbor scored single runs in four consecutive innings, while IWU answered in four of the next five frames.
 
Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, Grace Lentz tied the game with a solo home run. An inning later, Brooke Meeker gave SAU a 4-3 lead with an RBI single.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Emilee Underwood recorded two quick outs, but IWU strung together back-to-back two-out hits, including a game-tying RBI double by Morgan Yeater, to force extra innings.
 
Spring Arbor was held scoreless in the top of the eighth, and Indiana Wesleyan capitalized with three hits in the bottom half to walk off with the 5-4 win.
 
Meeker led the Cougars at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Summer Ambler and Megan Bondy each added two hits.
 
In game two, Spring Arbor jumped out early as Meeker launched a two-run home run in the first inning. The Cougars extended the lead to 4-1 in the second when Matajia Cerroni delivered a two-RBI double.
 
SAU added two more runs in the fifth – highlighted by an RBI single from Lentz – to take a 6-2 advantage.
 
Indiana Wesleyan responded with a six-run sixth inning to flip the game and take an 8-6 lead.
 
The Cougars brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but were unable to complete the comeback.
 
Cerroni finished with three RBIs, while Lentz and Ambler each recorded two hits.
 
Spring Arbor returns home on Saturday, April 11 to host No. 11 ranked Marian University with first pitch set for 1 p.m.