USI Softball Blanks Bellarmine For DH Sweep
University of Southern Indiana Softball posted a pair of shutouts in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Bellarmine University Tuesday afternoon at the USI Softball Field. The No. 10 Screaming Eagles earned a 2-0 win in the opening game before grabbing a 5-0 decision in game two.
USI (31-7, 10-4 GLVC), which cracked the 30-win plateau for the third straight year and the fourth time in the last five years, returns to action Saturday at noon when it travels to Rensselaer, Indiana, to take on Saint Joseph’s College in a GLVC doubleheader.
Game 1 | Southern Indiana 2, Bellarmine 0
USI got back-to-back RBI singles from sophomore second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) and senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to the 2-0 win in the opener.
Sophomore pitcher Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) scattered five hits throughout seven innings for her fourth complete-game shutout of the year. Atkisson (10-4) did not record a strike out, but allowed just one walk and rode a strong defensive effort that included a pair of timely double plays.
Bellarmine (15-23, 3-11 GLVC) threatened with runners at second and third with one out in the first inning when Atkisson induced a 1-3-2-5 double play. Reese took away a Bellarmine run in the fourth frame when she scooped up a would-be RBI single, tagged second base for a force out, then threw home to get the Knights’ Marley Edwards out at the plate.
The Knights threatened again in the sixth, but back-to-back groundouts got the Eagles out of the jam.
Game 2 | Southern Indiana 5, Bellarmine 0
Home runs from freshman outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) and senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) helped propel the Eagles to a commanding 5-0 advantage through three innings.
Schubert crushed a two-run shot over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the second inning to give the Eagles a 2-0 advantage, while Hodges hit her 40th career home run to put the Eagles up, 3-0, in the third inning.
USI tacked on two more tallies in the third frame as freshman Bailey Slivka (Porter, Indiana) had a pinch-hit, two-run single to give the Eagles the five-run cushion.
Freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) earned her 17th win of the year after scattering five hits throughout seven innings. Leonhardt (17-1) struck out three batters as she earned her 14th straight decision.
Southern Indiana 2, Bellarmine 0 (Apr 04, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 1)
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Bellarmine………. 000 000 0 -Â 0Â 5Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (15-22, 3-10 GLVC)
Southern Indiana…. 000 020 X -Â 2Â 7Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (30-7, 9-4 GLVC)
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Pitchers: Bellarmine – Fussenegger, Sabrina and Incorvati, Ciara. Southern Indiana –
Atkisson,Courtney and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Atkisson,Courtney(10-4)Â Loss-Fussenegger, Sabrina(7-10)Â T-1:30Â A-87
Weather: Partly cloudy
Game: 37-BU
Southern Indiana 5, Bellarmine 0 (Apr 04, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 2)
———————————————————————-
Bellarmine………. 000 000 0 -Â 0Â 5Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (15-23, 3-11 GLVC)
Southern Indiana…. 023 000 X -Â 5Â 9Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (31-7, 10-4 GLVC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Bellarmine – Fussenegger, Sabrina; Tevis, Marlee(3) and Incorvati, Ciara.
Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(17-1)Â Loss-Fussenegger, Sabrina(7-11)Â T-1:30Â A-87
HR USI – Hodges, Haley (7); Schubert, Allison (2).
Weather: 70s, partly cloudy
Game: 38-BU
