Eagles conclude Cocky Classic with Sunday split

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Softball finished its weekend at the 2024 Cocky Classic in Jacksonville, Alabama on Sunday with a two-game split, falling 7-1 against the University of Southern Mississippi before winning 5-4 against host Jacksonville State University.
 
In the first game against Southern Miss (5-8), both teams cruised through the first couple of innings. Southern Indiana (3-7) had a chance to score in the second and third innings but stranded a runner in scoring position in each frame.
 
The Golden Eagles broke through in the bottom of the third inning with five runs off a pair of RBI doubles and two more RBI knocks. The big inning led to a USI pitching change, as junior starting pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) handed the ball off to sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky).
 
Southern Indiana got one run back in the top of the fifth on a leadoff home run from sophomore infielder Carlee Effinger (Evansville, Indiana), her first of the season. Despite getting another runner in scoring position, the home run was all USI could get across home plate. The Golden Eagles added two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth and finished off the game from there.
 
Southern Indiana scored one run on five hits, while Southern Miss tallied seven runs on 13 hits. In addition to Effinger’s home run, freshman infielder Sydney Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) went 2-2 at the plate for USI.
 
Gotshall was dealt her first loss this season, allowing five runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Gibson gave up two runs in 2.1 innings of work, while junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Indiana) finished the game for USI with an inning and a third scoreless. The Golden Eagles’ junior pitcher Loganne Stepp moved to 2-1 this season with the win, going five innings with one run surrendered.
 
The second game of the afternoon against Jacksonville State (5-10) was a back-and-forth battle. Southern Indiana jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a bases-loaded walk by senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana). The Gamecocks answered with a tally in the bottom of the second, tying the game 1-1.
 
In the third inning, USI put runners at second and third following a pair of singles and a sacrifice. Junior starting pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was at the plate and put the ball in play, reaching base and scoring both runners on an error by the Jacksonville State shortstop. In the bottom of the third, the Gamecocks responded to tie the game up again, 3-3, on a two-run home run.
 
Southern Indiana took the lead back in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Kihega. The Screaming Eagles’ 4-3 advantage was short-lived. Once again, Jacksonville State answered in the home half of the fifth, knotting the game up at four on a sac fly following a one-out triple.
 
The Screaming Eagles were unfazed by the Gamecocks’ multiple comeback efforts. After three consecutive singles to start the top of the sixth inning to load the bases, freshman designated player Alyssa Mumaw (Greenfield, Indiana) put the ball in play and reached on a fielder’s choice to score the go-ahead run for Southern Indiana. From there Newman tossed back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to close out the 5-4 victory for USI.
 
Offensively, USI scored its five runs on 10 hits, receiving multi-hit games from Kihega with two RBIs, seniors Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), and a three-hit game for sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana). In the circle, Newman moved to 3-3 on the season with the win, going the full seven innings with four runs allowed. Sunday was Newman’s sixth complete game this season.
 
Jacksonville State scored its four runs off five hits. Junior pitcher Sarah Currie (1-2) suffered the loss for the Gamecocks, giving up two runs off five hits in 4.2 innings of relief.
 
The Screaming Eagles will make their next trip to The Spring Games next weekend in Madeira Beach, Florida. USI will play five games between March 2-5. Video coverage of The Spring Games will be available through FloSoftball.