With the split, USI will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming GLVC Softball Championship Tournament, which is Thursday through Saturday at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois. USI’s loss in the opener eliminated the Eagles’ chance at grabbing the top seed, but its win in the second game figures to help their NCAA II Tournament resume.
Game 1
Indianapolis (42-12, 20-6 GLVC) used a three-run homerun in the last half of the first inning to jump out to a commanding 3-0 lead. USI, however, answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning as an RBI-double by senior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) followed by a one-out, sacrifice fly by sophomore outfielder Alicia Webb (Elberfeld, Indiana) cut the Eagles’ deficit to 3-2.
The Greyhounds, though, responded to the Eagles’ surge with a tally in the bottom of the third frame to go up 4-2.
USI (33-17, 19-7 GLVC) struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities throughout the remainder of the contest as the Eagles left runners at the corners in both the fifth and sixth innings before getting runners at second and third with one out in the seventh.
In total, the Eagles left nine runners on base, including six in the final three innings.
Junior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) took the loss after giving up a GLVC-only season-high four runs off nine hits in six innings of work. Leonhardt (19-7), who tied Brooke Harmening for first on USI’s all-time wins list (74) on Friday, finished the game with nine strikeouts and just one walk.
Game 2
The Greyhounds opened the scoring with two runs in the last half of the first inning, but the Eagles quickly responded with three runs in the top of the second inning to take a 3-2 advantage.
USI had three hits in the second inning and capitalized on a lead-off walk and a hit batter to score their runs. Junior shortstop Taylor Ricketts (Georgetown, Kentucky) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push across the first run, while freshman third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois) tied the game with an RBI-fielder’s choice.
Johnson put the Eagles ahead in the next at-bat with an RBI-single, while a two-run homerun by senior outfielder/pitcher Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) in the following inning put the Eagles in front, 5-2.
UIndy scored a run in the last half of the fifth inning and threatened to score again in the sixth with runners at first and third and two out. Bradley, however, came into the circle in the sixth to get a one-pitch third out and USI tacked on two more runs in the seventh to extend its lead to 7-3.
Senior catcher Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) and sophomore first baseman Haley Shouse (Borden, Indiana) each had RBIs in the seventh, while Bradley set the Greyhounds down in order in the bottom of the frame to ensure USI’s win.
Bradley picked up her team-high tying fourth save of the year, while senior pitcher Haley Smith (Florence, Kentucky) earned the win. Smith (7-2) gave up three runs off 10 hits in five-and-two-thirds innings of work, while Bradley retired all four batters she faced.
