Junior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) tossed her third straight complete-game shutout and freshman catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois) hit her first-career home run as University of Southern Indiana Softball opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of visiting McKendree University in its home-opener at the USI Softball Field.
The Screaming Eagles (14-10, 2-0 GLVC) rolled to a 5-0 win in the opener before rallying from a 6-2 deficit to earn an 8-6 win in the nightcap.
USI returns to action Sunday at noon when it hosts the University of Illinois Springfield in a GLVC doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. Sunday’s games are a rematch of last year’s NCAA II Midwest Super Regional, which USI swept en route to its first-ever national championship. The Prairie Stars (13-11, 2-0 GLVC) swept Bellarmine University in a GLVC doubleheader Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Game 1: USI 5, McKendree (13-13, 0-2 GLVC) 0
Leonhardt struck out 10 batters, marking her third straight start with double-digit strikeouts, as the Eagles cruised to the win in the opener. She also went 2-for-2 at the plate with a sacrifice and two RBIs.
USI began the scoring in the bottom of the second inning as a two-out rally led to an infield single by Leonhardt, who pushed across the first tally of the game. Leonhardt had an RBI-single in the Eagles’ three-run fourth inning to put USI up, 2-0, at the time; while a two-run double by senior catcher Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) staked the Eagles to a 4-0 cushion.
The Eagles concluded the scoring on an RBI-groundout by sophomore outfielder Alicia Webb (Elberfeld, Indiana) in the fifth inning.
Leonhardt (9-3), meanwhile, scattered five hits throughout seven innings and, for the fourth straight game, did not issue a walk.
Game 2: USI 8, McKendree 6
USI took advantage of a lead-off walk to score a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Leonhardt had an RBI-double to put USI in front, 1-0; then she scored on an errant throw by the catcher later in the frame to put the Eagles in front, 2-0.
McKendree, however, answered in the top of the fourth inning as the Bearcats sent nine batters to the plate in a six-run frame. The Bearcats had five hits in the inning, including a three-run shot by sophomore outfielder Shelby Summer.
USI trailed 6-2 in the fifth when back-to-back RBI-singles by Schoolcraft and junior outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) cut the Bearcats’ lead in half.
Leonhardt recorded her fourth RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to bring the Eagles to within a single tally, while Schoolcraft followed with a three-run shot over the leftfield fence to put the Eagles in front, 8-6. It was the first career collegiate home run for Schoolcraft, who replaced an injured Barr behind the plate in the fourth inning.
In the circle, senior pitcher Haylee Smith (Florence, Kentucky) tossed three scoreless innings in a relief appearance to earn her first win of the year. Smith retired all nine batters she faced en route to the victory.
