CLERMONT, Fla.—University of Southern Indiana Softball racked up a combined 15 runs and 25 hits Friday night as the No. 16 Screaming Eagles completed The Spring Games with a 9-0, six-inning win over the University of Sioux Falls and a 6-1 victory over Northern State University Friday night.
USI has reached the five-run plateau in 14 of its 20 games this season and have had at least 10 hits in nine games.
The Eagles (17-3) return to action Wednesday at 1 p.m. when they host Midwest Region foe Kentucky Wesleyan College in their 2017 home-opener at the USI Softball Field.
Southern Indiana (17-3) 9, Sioux Falls (8-5) 0
Senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) hit a walk-off, three-run home run to give USI Softball a 9-0, six-inning victory over Sioux Falls to open the final day of competition for the Eagles at The Spring Games.
USI scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to open up the onslaught as four different Eagles had RBIs. Sophomore second basemanClaire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana), junior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) and junior third baseman Mena Fulton(Bloomington, Indiana) each had RBI-hits in the third frame, while senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) had a sacrifice fly.
Fulton had an RBI-groundout in the fifth inning to put the Eagles up, 5-0, while sophomore utility player Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) followed Fulton with an RBI-single to give USI a 6-0 lead.
Back-to-back singles by Johnson and sophomore designated player/pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) to lead off the sixth inning put Reese in position for the three-run, game-ending bomb that sailed over the left-centerfield fence.
Sophomore pitcher Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) recorded her second straight complete-game shutout and third in the last four outings after scattering two hits and three walks throughout six innings. Atkisson (6-2) had a strikeout as she earned her third straight win.
Southern Indiana 6, Northern State (12-4) 1
The Eagles scored six unanswered runs as they ended The Spring Games with a 6-1 victory over Northern State Friday night.
After spotting the Wolves (12-4) a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Eagles responded with pair of tallies in the top of the second inning as Bradley had an RBI-single before scoring on a wild pitch to put USI up, 2-1.
USI tacked on another tally in the fourth inning when junior outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois) drove in a run on a groundout to third base.
A two-run triple off the bat of Johnson in the sixth inning put the Eagles up, 5-1, while an RBI-single by Fossett in the seventh inning completed the Eagles’ scoring.
Leonhardt (8-1) earned the win after allowing the one run off three hits in seven innings of work. She racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts en route to her fifth straight win.
Southern Indiana 9, Sioux Falls 0 (Mar 10, 2017 at Clermont, FL)
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Sioux Falls……… 000 000Â -Â 0Â 2Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (8-5)
Southern Indiana…. 004 023Â -Â 9 13Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (16-3)
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Pitchers: Sioux Falls – Mathews, Courtney; Black, Breanna(4) and Ragusi, Jasmine.
Southern Indiana – Atkisson,Courtney and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Atkisson,Courtney(6-2)Â Loss-Mathews, Courtney(2-5)Â T-1:25Â A-88
HR USI – Reese, Lexi (4).
Black, B. faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Game: 19-TSG
Southern Indiana 6, Northern State 1 (Mar 10, 2017 at Clermont, FL)
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Southern Indiana…. 020 102 1 -Â 6 12Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (17-3)
Northern State…… 100 000 0 -Â 1Â 3Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (12-4)
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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley. Northern State –
Elkins, Missy; Albright, Rachel(7) and Rutter, Madison.
Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(8-1)Â Loss-Elkins, Missy(4-3)Â T-1:45Â A-73
Game: 20-TSG
