University of Southern Indiana Softball split a pair of games against Southeast Missouri State University on Friday at USI Softball Field, as the Screaming Eagles took game 1 by a score of 2-1 before falling in game 2 to the Redhawks, 6-0.
Following Friday’s doubleheader, Southern Indiana (13-13) and Southeast Missouri (12-19) remained tied for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 7-4 conference record.
Offense came at a premium in the afternoon’s first game Friday. After junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) struck out the side in the top of the second and third innings, Southern Indiana produced some run support in the home half of the third frame. The Screaming Eagles loaded the bases before USI’s all-time hit-by-pitch leader, senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), was hit by a pitch to score a run. One batter later, senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) singled to right field to give USI a 2-0 lead through three innings.
SEMO got a run back on a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth inning. The Redhawks threatened with the potential tying run coming home from second on a single, but USI left fielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) threw a dart to Kihega, who made the swipe tag for the last out of the inning. USI kept a 2-1 lead going to the sixth.
Even though Southeast Missouri did not go quietly in the seventh with a couple of baserunners, Newman and the Screaming Eagles sealed the deal with a game 1 victory.
SEMO scored one run on six hits, while USI tallied two runs off seven hits. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) went 2-3 with a run and Kihega was 2-3 with an RBI.
Newman improved to 11-5 in the pitching circle with her 16th complete game of the season. The right-hander allowed just one run and struck out 10 batters. Newman’s counterpart, senior pitcher Paytience Holman for SEMO, moved to 7-7 with the loss after giving up two runs – one earned – in three innings pitched.
In game 2, Southeast Missouri scored first with a run in the first inning. The Redhawks later built their lead up to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the third on a pair of RBI knocks and a bases-loaded walk.
After a clean fourth inning for USI sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky), SEMO tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning to increase its lead to 6-0.
Junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) took over for Gibson in the last two innings, as USI looked to rally at the plate. Despite solid contact late in the contest, Southern Indiana had nothing to show for it with Southeast Missouri closing out the game 2 victory to force a rubber match in Saturday’s series finale.
SEMO posted six runs on nine hits, while USI had four hits. The top four players in the batting order for USI were responsible for three of the four hits.
Gibson was dealt the loss, moving to 0-3 this season, after five innings of work in her third start of the season. SEMO freshman pitcher Maddie Carney went to 2-4 on the campaign, hurling six shutout innings.
