INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Cleveland State softball team opened its three-game series at IUPUI on Friday afteroon with a pair of one run setbacks. IUPUI won the opener, 3-2, in nine innings and claimed a 6-5 win in game two.

The Vikings, who played in their 15th and 16th one run games of the season, fell to 11-21 overall and 1-4 in the League, while IUPUI improved to 12-23 overall (8-8 HL).

In the opener, Riley Ries gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead with a home run to lead off the sixth inning, but the Jaguars answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. CSU tied the game at 2-2 in the seventh as Kait Gairing was hit-by-a-pitch to lead off and scored on a double from Marissa Marcelli.

Delainey Turner's RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning gave IUPUI the win in the opener.

Mackenzie Joecken was strong in the circle, working 8.2 innings, giving up three runs and striking out 12. Marcelli had two of CSU's five hits in the opener, while Joecken, Ries and Olivia Jones each had one hit.

In the nightcap, the Jaguars took a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two more in the third.

The Vikings got on the board in the sixth on Ries' RBI single that scored Gairing, but IUPUI came back with a run in the bottom half of the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.

But CSU wasn't finished, loading the bases for Joecken in the seventh and she responded with a grand slam to knot the game at 5-5.

However, Haley Ginger led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to five IUPUI the win.

Joecken, Ries, Macy Kaisk and Bailee Gray all had one hit for the Vikings, while Kaisk worked six innings with two strikeouts.

The final game of the series will be played on Saturday at 12:00 pm.