Despite a pair of solo home runs by senior third baseman Mena Fulton (Bloomington, Indiana), University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of one-run setbacks to host Drury University Friday in Great Lakes Valley Conference action.
The Screaming Eagles (24-19, 12-10 GLVC) lost the opener, 2-1, before falling in game two, 4-3.
USI returns to action Saturday at noon when it travels to Rolla, Missouri, to take on Missouri University of Science & Technology.
Game 1: Drury 2, USI 1 (Box Score)
USI scored on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Eagles surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the second as the Panthers grabbed a 2-1 advantage.
The Eagles had scoring opportunities in both the fifth and sixth innings, but could not push anything across the plate as Drury held on for the one-run victory.
Junior pitcher Haylee Smith (Florence, Kentucky) was charged with the loss. Smith (4-4) gave up two runs, one earned, off seven hits in six innings of work.
Game 2: Drury 4, USI 3 (Box Score)
Drury (16-22, 7-15 GLVC) rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Eagles with a walk-off single in the last half of the seventh inning.
USI took advantage of an error to score a run in the first inning, while Fulton, who was 3-for-3 in game one, hit her first home run of the day in the second inning to put USI up, 2-0.
Fulton’s second home run gave USI a 3-1 advantage in the fourth inning; but the Panthers scored twice in the last half of the fifth inning to tie the game before taking advantage of a pair of errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to set up Madison Hecker for the two-out, game-winning RBI-single.
Sophomore pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss for the Eagles after surrendering four runs, three earned, off of seven hits and five walks. Leonhardt (12-10) racked up nine strikeouts.
