University of Southern Indiana Softball settled for a split on the opening day of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Tournament Thursday.
The No. 6 Screaming Eagles (41-11) began the day with a 10-4 win over William Jewell College, but fell to McKendree University, 3-2, to end the day.
USI returns to action Friday at 11 a.m. when it takes on Bellarmine University in the elimination bracket of the GLVC Tournament is East Peoria, Illinois. USI will have to win three times Friday to advance to Saturday’s championship round.
Game 1 | Southern Indiana 10, William Jewell 4
USI racked up 17 hits as it rallied from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 10-4 win over William Jewell in its opening game of the GLVC Championship Tournament. The Eagles scored a pair of runs in the last half of the first inning, three in the second and five in the sixth as it won its GLVC Tournament opener for the second straight year.
After spotting the Cardinals (26-27) a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Eagles got a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) in the bottom of the first inning to trim William Jewell’s advantage to a single tally.
The Eagles tied the game on a wild pitch in the second inning; then got back-to-back RBIs from senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) and junior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) to take a 5-3 lead.
William Jewell (26-27) got a solo home run in the fourth inning to trim USI’s lead to 5-4; but a sixth inning that saw the Eagles send nine batters to the plate ended any hope of an upset.
Reese opened the scoring with a one-out, solo home run to give USI a 6-4 lead. Senior outfielder Grace Clark (Indianapolis, Indiana) had a two-out, two-run home run to extend USI’s advantage to 8-4, while an RBI-single by junior third baseman Mena Fulton(Bloomington, Indiana) and an RBI-double by freshman designated player Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) gave the Eagles a cozy six-run cushion.
Freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) earned her GLVC-best 24th win of the year after giving up four runs off six hits in seven innings of work. Leonhardt (24-1) racked up seven strikeouts while issuing just two walks.
Game 2 | McKendree 3, Southern Indiana 2
The Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning as a Fossett single pushed across the game’s first tally.
McKendree (32-19), however, got a two-run home run from senior first baseman Rachel Hastings in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-1 advantage. The Bearcats added another run in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 3-1.
USI, which stranded 11 runners on base, got an RBI-single from sophomore outfielder Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) in the seventh inning to cut the Bearcats’ lead in half. USI, however, left runners at first and second base as McKendree held on for the upset.
Leonhardt (24-2) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs off six hits in six innings of work. It is Leonhardt’s first loss since a 4-3 setback to Saginaw Valley State University February 26.
Southern Indiana 10, William Jewell 4 (May 04, 2017 at EastPeoria, IL)
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William Jewell…… 300 100 0 -Â 4Â 6Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (25-26)
Southern Indiana…. 230 005 X – 10 17Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (41-10)
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Pitchers: William Jewell – Biondo, Anna; Lewis, Sarah(2); Friesen, Taylor(6) and
Culbertson, Madeline. Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley.
Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(24-1)Â Loss-Biondo, Anna(17-9)Â T-1:43Â A-74
HR WJC – Lewis, Sarah (2).
HR USI – Reese, Lexi (5); Hodges, Haley (9); Clark, Grace (5).
Weather: Cloudy, windy, & cold
Game: 51-GLVC
McKendree 3, Southern Indiana 2 (May 04, 2017 at East Peoria, IL)
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Southern Indiana…. 001 000 1 -Â 2 11Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (41-11)
McKendree……….. 002 001 X -Â 3Â 6Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (32-19)
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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley. McKendree –
Silliman, Kylee; Magre, Holly(7) and Franke, Rebecca.
Win-Silliman, Kylee(13-6)Â Save-Magre, Holly(1)Â Loss-Leonhardt, Jennifer(24-2)Â T-1:40Â A-93
HR MCK – Hastings, Rachel (9).
Weather: Cloudy, windy, cold
Game: 52-GLVC
