COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its 2024 Ohio Valley Conference campaign on the road at Tennessee Tech University on Sunday, but the Screaming Eagles fell victim to a doubleheader sweep by final scores of 2-1 and 5-0.
The series opener saw Southern Indiana (6-11, 0-2) get a runner in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but the Screaming Eagles could not advance either runner home. Tennessee Tech (9-6, 2-0) took advantage with three two-out singles in the bottom of the second inning to strike first, 1-0.
Following scoreless middle innings, USI tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out RBI double by senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) that scored senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) from first base. However, Tennessee Tech scored a go-ahead unearned run in the bottom half of the sixth after a pair of defensive errors by USI, allowing the Golden Eagles to take the first game.
USI scored one run on five hits, as Fair led Southern Indiana with a 2-2 game at the plate. Tennessee Tech tallied its two runs off eight hits.
USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) took the hard-luck loss to move to 5-5 this season. Newman tossed a full six innings, giving up two runs – one earned – with four strikeouts. Tennessee Tech’s senior pitcher Lennon Spicer moved to 2-3 with the win, surrendering one run in 6.1 innings, and freshman Emily York recorded the save.
In the back half of Sunday’s doubleheader, Tennessee Tech quickly took a 2-0 lead with a sac fly in the first inning and a bases-loaded RBI single in the second frame.
Just like the first game, USI had a couple of opportunities with a runner in scoring position early on but had trouble stringing together the necessary at-bats to drive a run across home plate.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Tennessee Tech capitalized off back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and later put together three consecutive RBI at-bats – two singles with a sac fly sandwiched in between – to add three insurance runs, giving the Golden Eagles the double-dip sweep on Sunday.
In the second game, three of USI’s five hits came from the top three in the batting order. Kihega and senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) recorded a hit in each game Sunday. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles scored its five runs in game two across nine hits.
USI junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Indiana) was charged with the loss in the late cap, dropping to 1-3. Hunter went four innings, allowing two runs. Tennessee Tech junior pitcher Payton Wagner moved to 3-1 with the win, hurling five shutout innings on Sunday. York closed out the second game also for Tennessee Tech, earning her fourth save with two scoreless frames.
