A day after racking up a combined 20 runs off 30 combined hits, University of Southern Indiana Softball was at it again, this time posting a modest 18 runs on a combined 20 hits en route to a pair of regional wins Sunday at Grand Park.
USI (8-3) blasted Lake Erie College, 13-0, in five innings before dispatching West Liberty University, 5-3, in a game that featured two teams receiving votes in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.
Game 1
The first five Screaming Eagles that stepped to the plate in USI’s 13-0 win over Lake Erie (0-3) had hits; and all five scored as the Eagles surged out to a 5-0 advantage. Freshman second baseman Rachel Martinez, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs, highlighted the Eagles’ inning with an RBI-triple.
Martinez had a two-run double as the Eagles scored six times in the home half of the third inning. USI sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and had four hits, including an RBI-double by junior outfielder Alicia Webb.
USI got a lead-off double in the fourth inning from freshman catcher Sammie Kihega and, following a walk and a pair of outs, junior outfielder Jessica Tucker drove in Kihega with a two-out, RBI-single. Sophomore utility player Julianne Bell followed Tucker with a two-out, pinch-hit, double to put the Eagles in front, 13-0.
Sophomore pitcher Katie Back (1-1) earned her first win of the year after giving up just two hits in a complete-game shutout.
Game 2
After spotting West Liberty (2-3) a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Eagles responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to take a 2-1 advantage. Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Elissa Brown had an RBI-double to open the scoring, while a sacrifice fly by senior outfielder Allison Schubert pushed across USI’s second tally.
The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the third inning as freshman pitcher/first baseman Allie Goodin had a sacrifice fly and senior shortstop Taylor Ricketts had an RBI-single to put USI up, 4-1. Ricketts’s RBI-triple in fifth inning put the Eagles up 5-1, giving senior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt more than enough support to claim her fourth win of the year.
Leonhardt (4-2) gave up three runs off four hits and two walks, while striking out six batters to earn her third straight decision. She also was 2-of-3 at the plate with a run scored in the win.
Notes
Goodin and junior outfielder Alicia Webb saw their team-best seven game hitting streaks end in USI’s win over West Liberty…sophomore catcher Courtney Schoolcraft is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, while Leonhardt and Martinez have hit safely in four straight games…USI concluded the Midwest Region Crossover with a 5-1 record…the event was supposed to take place at Deaconess Sports Park in Evansville, Indiana, but was forced to move to the all turf facility at Grand Park due to field conditions.
Up next
A little time off. The Eagles return to action March 6 when they take on Fairmont State University (9:15 a.m. CST) and Cedarville University (11:30 a.m. CST) at the Spring Games in Winter Haven, Florida.
