Senior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) racked up a team-high five RBIs as No. 6 University of Southern Indiana Softball earned a pair of wins to close out the UAH Charger Chillout Friday.
Fossett had the go-ahead RBIs in the Screaming Eagles’ 9-3 win over Midwest Region foe Trevecca Nazarene University in the opener; then erupted for three RBIs in USI’s 6-4 win over Delta State University in the nightcap.
The Eagles (3-1) return to action February 23 when they take on Ferris State University at the Midwest Region Crossover at Deaconess Park in Evansville, Indiana.
Southern Indiana 9, Trevecca Nazarene 3
USI capitalized on a pair of walks to begin the seventh inning en route to a six-run inning and a six-run victory.
The Eagles, who led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, found themselves in a tie game after the Trojans (1-2) scored twice in the frame.
Fossett put the Eagles up 5-3 with her one-out, two-run single in the top of the seventh. Junior outfielder Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana), who homered earlier to give the Eagles their third score, pushed another run across with an RBI-single to make it 6-3.
A two-run single by junior catcher Lindsey Barr (Whitesville, Kentucky) gave USI an 8-3 lead, while sophomore shortstop Taylor Ricketts (Georgetown, Kentucky) finished the scoring with an RBI-single to give the Eagles and sophomore hurler Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) the cozy six-run cushion.
Earlier in the contest, sophomore outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) had a two-run double in the top of the first to give USI a 2-0 advantage; while Bradley’s solo shot in the fourth was the Eagles’ first long ball of the year.
Leonhardt (2-0) earned the win for the Eagles after giving up three runs off seven hits in seven innings of work. She recorded five strikeouts and just one walk in the victory.
Southern Indiana 6, Delta State 4
USI scored runs in the last half of the fifth and sixth innings to overcome a Delta State surge and come away with its third straight win.
After Delta State (3-6) scored runs in the third and fifth innings to even the contest at 4-4, Bradley had a sacrifice fly to push across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) tripled to lead off the sixth frame before a sacrifice fly by Fossett gave the Eagles an insurance run.
The Eagles rallied from a 2-0 deficit after the Lady Statesmen capitalized on a USI error to score twice in the top of the second inning. Johnson and senior outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson(Carbondale, Illinois) each had RBI-singles to tie the contest, while Fossett’s two-run single capped off a four-run second frame that put the Eagles in front, 4-2.
Junior pitcher Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) earned the win for the Eagles. Atkisson (1-0) allowed just one hit and one walk in 2.2 innings of relief work to earn her first decision of the season.
