CHARLESTON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Softball dropped a pair of games against Eastern Illinois University on Sunday, falling 3-1 in an eight-inning pitcher’s duel before a 9-1 setback in six innings to close out the weekend and giving the Panthers a series sweep.
Following Sunday’s results, Eastern Illinois (22-17, 14-3 OVC) maintained its first-place position in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, while Southern Indiana (10-21, 7-9 OVC) stands in sixth.
The day began in the first game with a stingy pitching battle between USI freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus and Eastern Illinois junior pitcher Karlie McKenzie. The two hurlers combined to keep the game scoreless through four and a half innings. The Panthers would strike first on the scoreboard by scratching across a run in the bottom of the fifth.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of Eastern Illinois going to the seventh inning with Southern Indiana still in search of its first hit off of McKenzie. The Screaming Eagles broke up the no-hit bid on a one-out infield single by freshman Jordan Mackey. Then USI got onto the scoreboard in the next at-bat when sophomore outfielder Kate Satkoski doubled down the left-field line to score senior infielder Whitley Hunter and tie the game, 1-1.
Witthaus pitched around some trouble in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. However, Eastern Illinois won in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run walk-off home run by sophomore catcher Sophia Olman.
Witthaus (4-7) pitched another quality start in conference play, striking out a career-high seven batters in the complete game.
McKenzie (7-3) also went the distance and allowed only one run off three hits with six strikeouts in the win for the Panthers.
Eastern Illinois carried the momentum into game two of the afternoon, scoring two quick runs in the home half of the first inning. Despite an RBI single by Hunter in the top of the third, the Panthers crossed home plate in each of the first three innings to lead 4-1 after three.
Southern Indiana had a chance to respond with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fifth inning, but USI was kept off the scoreboard. The Panthers went on to score twice more in the bottom of the fifth and three times in the bottom of the sixth to essentially walk off again in six innings via the run rule.
USI totaled five hits in game two. Hunter had the RBI knock and junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton had a hit and a run scored. Senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley, who had the other USI hit in game one, tallied another hit in game two.
Senior pitcher Josie Newman (6-13) was dealt the loss, giving up nine runs – five earned – with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
Eastern Illinois’ sophomore pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi (12-10) tossed a complete game, surrendering an unearned run and striking out two.
