University of Southern Indiana Softball erupted for a combined 22 runs Saturday as it swept a pair of Midwest Region games at Grand Park. The Screaming Eagles rallied from an 8-0 deficit to defeat Northwood University, 15-9, in the opener before coming back from a pair of one-run deficits to defeat Tiffin University, 7-4, in their second game.
Freshman utility player Kat Mueller (Evansville, Indiana) went a combined 4-of-8 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and five RBIs to lead the Eagles offensively, while senior catcher Lindsey Barr (Owensboro, Kentucky) had a home run and a triple. Junior outfielder Allison Schubert(Nicholasville, Kentucky) was 3-of-6 with three RBIs, while junior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) earned a save and a win on the day.
The Eagles (6-4), winners of four straight games, return to action next Saturday at 8 a.m. (CST) when they take on Cedarville University in The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida.
USI 15, Northwood (1-3) 9
In danger of being run ruled and down to their final three outs, the Eagles erupted for 12 runs in the top of the fifth inning to not only extend the game, but take a four-run advantage heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Northwood scored four runs in the top of the first and four more in the second to grab a commanding 8-0 lead. USI, meanwhile, struggled to get any offense going as it had just three hits through four innings before going into the fifth inning in need of a run just to keep the game alive.
Barr’s triple to begin the fifth ignited the Eagles’ offense, which sent 17 batters to the plate. USI racked up eight hits and got RBIs from six different players, including three from Mueller and two apiece from Schubert, senior outfielder/pitcher Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) and freshman pitcher Elissa Brown (Brownsburg, Indiana).
Leonhardt also had an RBI in the inning, as did senior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) and sophomore outfielder Alicia Webb(Elberfeld, Indiana).
After a Northwood run in the bottom of the fifth cut the Eagles’ cushion to three runs, Barr answered with a two-run home run in the sixth to steal any momentum away from the Timberwolves. Junior shortstop Taylor Ricketts (Georgetown, Kentucky) capped off USI’s score-fest with an RBI-double in the seventh.
Brown (1-1) earned her first collegiate win in the circle after holding the Timberwolves to just one run off four hits in two innings of work. Leonhardt (1) came in to earn her first save of the year as she held Northwood to just one hit throughout three scoreless innings.
USI 7, Tiffin (3-2) 4
The Eagles scored three times in the bottom of the third inning to erase a 1-0 deficit; then scored four more times in the fifth to dig out of a 4-3 hole and earn their fourth straight win.
After allowing a score in the top of the third inning, USI took advantage of a pair of one-out walks and two passed balls to score its first three runs. Mueller had an RBI-double to tie the score at 1-1, then scored, along with Johnson, from second base on the second passed ball of the inning.
Tiffin responded with three tallies in the fifth inning to retake the lead, but an RBI-triple by Mueller in the last half of the fifth quickly pulled the Eagles even at 4-4. Mueller scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Schubert, while an RBI-triple by Ricketts and a run-scoring single by freshman catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois) put the Eagles in the driver’s seat with a three-run cushion.
Leonhardt (4-1) earned the complete-game win in the circle after giving up four runs, three earned, off seven hits. She struck out four batters and issued just one walk in the victory.
