University of Southern Indiana Softball rallied from a six-run deficit to win game one, but could not comeback from a three-run deficit in the night cap as it settled for a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader split with visiting Quincy University Monday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.
The No. 5 Screaming Eagles earned an 8-7 win in nine innings in the opener before falling, 4-1, in game two.
USI (40-10, 19-7 GLVC), which reached the 40-win plateau for the second time in program history and the first since 1998, closes the regular-season this weekend when it visits the University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday at noon and Maryville University Sunday at noon.
Game 1 | Southern Indiana 8, Quincy 7 (9 inn.)
The Eagles scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome a 7-1 deficit; then got a walk-off, RBI-single from junior third baseman Mena Fulton(Bloomington, Indiana) in the last half of the ninth innings to earn an 8-7 win in the opener.
Quincy (16-16, 8-18 GLVC) got a two-run home run off the bat of senior infielder Lindsey Greene in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead; then answered a USI tally with a pair of runs in the second to take a 4-1 advantage.
The Hawks tacked on more two-runs in the fourth frame on the strength of a two-run home run by senior second baseman Kaylee Jones; then scored another tally in the seventh inning to extend its advantage to   7-1.
Meanwhile, the Eagles’ offense had just three hits throughout the first six innings of the contest, including an RBI-single by senior outfielder Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) in the first inning.
USI, however, began the seventh inning with three straight hits, including an RBI-double by sophomore designated player Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) and an RBI-single by junior outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois).
Junior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) had a two-run double to get the Eagles to within two runs, while senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) hit a two-run home run over the leftfield fence to tie the game at 7-7.
After the Eagles loaded the bases in the last half of the ninth inning, Fulton hit a bloop-single into left-centerfield to push across the game-winning run.
Sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) earned the win for the Eagles after giving up three runs off nine hits in eight innings of work. Bradley improved to 7-3 with the decision.
Game 2 | Quincy 4, Southern Indiana 1
After getting a sacrifice fly from Hodges to take a 1-0 lead in the last half of the first inning, the Eagles watched as the Hawks scored four unanswered runs to earn a 4-1 victory in game two.
Quincy took advantage of a pair of USI errors to score twice in the top of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead; then got a two-run double off the bat of sophomore outfielder Dana Walsh in the sixth to extend its lead to 4-1.
USI was held to just three hits in game two and just one hit in the final six innings of the contest.
Sophomore pitcher Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) was charged with the loss after giving up four runs, two earned, off seven hits in seven innings of work. She falls to 10-6 with the loss.
Southern Indiana 8, Quincy 7 (Apr 24, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 1)
Quincy………….. 220 200 100Â -Â 7 15Â 2Â Â Â Â Â (15-26, 7-18 GLVC)
Southern Indiana…. 100 000 601Â -Â 8 12Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (40-9, 19-6 GLVC)
Pitchers: Quincy – Griskell, Emily and Bettendorf, Kay. Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer;
Bradley, Caitlyn(2) and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Bradley, Caitlyn(7-3)Â Loss-Griskell, Emily(10-12)Â T-2:05Â A-61
HR QU – Jones, Kaylee (1); Greene, Lindsey (12).
HR USI – Hodges, Haley (8).
Weather: 60s, sunny
Leonhardt, J faced 3 batters in the 2nd.
Game: 49-QU
Quincy 4, Southern Indiana 1 (Apr 24, 2017 at Evansville, IN) (Game 2)
———————————————————————-
Quincy………….. 000 022 0 -Â 4Â 7Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (16-26, 8-18 GLVC)
Southern Indiana…. 100 000 0 -Â 1Â 3Â 2Â Â Â Â Â (40-10, 19-7 GLVC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Quincy – Quirk, Meghan and McLaughlin, Karli. Southern Indiana – Atkisson,Courtney
and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Quirk, Meghan(4-8)Â Loss-Atkisson,Courtney(10-6)Â T-1:20Â A-61
Weather: 70s, sunny
Game: 50-QU
