ST. LOUIS, MO. - Senior Katie Wood delivered a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to lead the No. 1 ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team to a 2-1 victory over No. 10 Indianapolis on Friday in game one of the 2015 NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional.
 
UMSL takes a 1-0 lead in the best of three games series and will look for the sweep tomorrow when the two teams meet again at Noon. If necessary, a second game would follow.
 
As has been typical with UMSL softball in postseason play this year, the game started with a 15 minute rain delay and after just over a half hour of game played and not quite two full innings in, the contest went into a lightning and rain delay for nearly four and a half hours.
 
The Tritons improve to 48-6 overall, while junior Hannah Perryman tossed the complete game victory, improving to 30-3 in the circle.
 
Perryman found herself uncharacteristically in trouble in the first two innings before the delay, allowing two hits and a pair of walks, but worked herself out of a jam twice, leaving four Greyhounds on base.
 
Offensively, UIndy ace Morgan Foley countered by striking out the first five UMSL batters she faced before sophomore Sara Kern reached on an infield hit with two outs before the rain delay came.
 
Wood's long ball came after the delay and with senior Katie Rutledge on base, who reached via a walk.
 
The Greyhounds got one run back in the top of the fourth with a two-out RBI single from the nine-hole hitter Katie Kelly to pull within 2-1.
 
Perryman scattered four hits in the win, tying a season-high three walks, while striking out eight. She retired the final eight batters she faced and left seven UIndy players on base in the game.
 
The Tritons finished with three hits and were granted four walks by Foley, who slips to 36-8. She recorded 13 strikeouts. Indianapolis is now 45-13.
 
TRITON TIDBITS: UMSL has won eight straight… the Tritons improve to 3-1 this season against Indianapolis… UMSL is now 12-8 all-time in NCAA games… head coach Brian Levin picked up career win 196, all coming in five seasons at UMSL… seniors Jena Boudreau and Hannah Wessels each reached base for the 12^th straight game, both on a walk… Wood's home run was her 16^th of the season and 46^th of her career… the long ball was also number 105 for the Tritons, which ties the third most in an NCAA Division II single season history.