For the fifth straight time, St. Ambrose split a CCAC doubleheader, taking the opener at Indiana South Bend 5-3 in eight innings before losing the second game 9-3 Thursday afternoon.

Big two-out hits were the story of the first game.

Trailing 2-0 entering the seventh, SAU had its first two hitters retired. Allison Polly started the rally with a single to right. Shai Erdrich followed with a base hit to center. Then Reagan Engberg came through with a double into the left-center field gap to plate a pair to tie the game.

The eighth inning followed a similar script. After the first two batters were retired, Mady Reed singled. Alyssa Schumacher broke the tie with a triple to right-center. After Mackenzie Stiewe was hit by a pitch, Polly ripped a double to left-center to score two to put St. Ambrose in front 5-2.

IU South Bend (14-28, 7-9 CCAC) scored once in the bottom of the eighth and had the potential tying run on base before SAU closed out the win.

Engberg collected three hits while Erdrich, Reed and Polly each had two. Schumacher and Paige Kirkman had the other Bee hits.

Annebelle Krull earned the win in relief. She allowed just one run over 4 2/3 innings. Emilee Erickson surrendered two runs over 3 1/3 innings.

SAU (19-25, 8-8 CCAC) pounded out nine hits in the second game, two each coming from Kirkman and Mya Millsaps, but managed only three runs, all coming in the fourth inning.

Down 2-0 after the Titans scored twice in the first, Schumacher and Taylor Martyn had RBI singles around a Polly sacrifice fly to give the Bees a 3-2 lead in the fourth. But in the bottom of the inning IUSB pushed across two runs to regain the lead. The Titans added a two-run double in the fifth and a bases-loaded triple in the sixth to pull away.

Erica Ralfs was charged with the loss.

The originally-scheduled Sunday doubleheader at Indiana Tech has been canceled, so the Bees will now prepare for postseason play. The CCAC Tournament begins next Thursday.