EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) went 4-of-7 with a home run and three RBI to lead University of Southern Indiana Softball to a sweep visiting Lewis University in its home and Great Lakes Valley Conference-opening doubleheader Sunday at the USI Softball Field.
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Back hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning of USI’s 1-0, game-one win over the Flyers. She drove in the game-tying run and in the bottom of the seventh inning and game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Eagles to a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
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After spotting the Flyers (10-12, 1-5 GLVC) a tally on a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh inning of game two, the Screaming Eagles found themselves down to their last strike with the tying run at second base in the home half of the seventh.
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Back roped an RBI-single into right-center on an 0-2 count to score freshman pinch runner Hannah Long (Haubstadt, Indiana) and tie the game at 1-1. Long came in to run for sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), who got the rally started with a two-out double.
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Lewis had a scoring chance in the eighth inning as it had runners at first and second with no outs. After a fielder’s choice out and a passed ball, the Flyers got a bloop single that had a chance to score pitcher Payton Wuske from third base.
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Wuske, however, had to hold up to make sure the ball wasn’t caught before she went in for the go-ahead score. Freshman outfielder Kennedy Nalley(Huntingburg, Indiana), however, scooped the ball up on one hop and threw a dart to junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana), who applied the tag on Wuske to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard.
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USI, which left 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded twice, got a lead-off single from junior second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) to start the ninth inning. Junior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) followed with a sacrifice bunt, but she was safe after the Lewis first baseman pulled her foot trying to make a play at second base.
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Fair followed with a single to load the bases, while Back ended the game with a single to right-center.
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Freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) earned the win in the circle for the Eagles, giving up just one run off five hits in nine innings of work. Gotshall (5-0) had four strikeouts and just two walks.
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Junior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) picked up the complete-game shutout in the opener after scattering three hits throughout seven innings. Goodin (3-0) had five strikeouts and just one walk.
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USI returns to action Monday at noon when it hosts the University of Illinois Springfield at the USI Softball Field. The Prairie Stars (18-8, 2-4 GLVC), who have won four straight games, swept a GLVC doubleheader from McKendree University Sunday afternoon.
