University of Southern Indiana Softball senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) set program records for career RBIs and home runs Wednesday as the No. 14 Screaming Eagles swept a Midwest Region doubleheader from host Trevecca Nazarene University. USI won game one, 4-3, before taking the nightcap, 10-2, in six innings.
Hodges ended the day with 149 career RBIs and 39 career home runs to break a pair of ties with Rachel Bowling.
USI (21-5), which slipped four spots to No. 14 in the latest NFCA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, returns to Great Lakes Valley play Saturday at noon when it travels to Springfield, Missouri, for a doubleheader against Drury University.
Southern Indiana (21-5) 4, Trevecca Nazarene (10-15) 3
Hodges wasted little time in becoming the Eagles’ all-time RBI leader as her two-run single in the top of the first inning represented her 145th and 146th career RBIs, breaking a tie between her and Bowling. More importantly, the hit gave the Eagles an early 2-0 lead over the Trojans.
Trevecca Nazarene (10-15), however, rallied in the last half of the first inning with a two-run home run and an RBI-single to take a 3-2 lead.
Hodges’ RBI-single in the third inning tied the game at 3-3, while junior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) broke the tie in the fifth frame with a solo home run.
Freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) shook off the rough first inning to earn the victory. Leonhardt (11-1), who gave up five hits in the first inning, settled down to retire 19 of the final 20 batters she faced. She finished with eight strikeouts and no walks en route to her eighth straight decision.
Southern Indiana 10, Trevecca Nazarene 2
Hodges’ two-run home run in the top of the first inning was her 39th career round-tripper, breaking a tie between her and Bowling, as USI took a 2-0 lead.
The Trojans had tallies in both the first and second innings, but a three-run double by senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) in the top of the second frame put USI up 5-1.
Back-to-back home runs by junior Alex Logan (Carleton, Michigan) and freshman Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) in the fifth inning gave the Eagles an 8-2 lead, while an error and an RBI-single by freshman Taylor Ricketts (Georgetown, Kentucky) in the sixth gave USI a 10-2 advantage. Logan’s home run was a two-run blast, while Schubert’s solo shot was her first career collegiate hit.
Sophomore lefty Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) earned the win after giving up two runs, one earned, off nine hits in six innings of work. Atkisson (7-3) had a pair of strikeouts and just one walk en route to her seventh win of the year.
Southern Indiana 4, Trevecca Nazarene 3 (Mar 22, 2017 at Nashville, TN) (Game 1)
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Southern Indiana…. 201 010 0 -Â 4 12Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (20-5)
Trevecca Nazarene… 300 000 0 -Â 3Â 6Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (10-14)
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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley. Trevecca Nazarene –
HALL, Raygn; CARR, Savannah(4) and COLLINS, Mary.
Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(11-1)Â Loss-CARR, Savannah(2-3)Â T-1:55Â A-65
HR USI – Fossett, Marleah.
HR TNUSB – ALEXANDER, Bailey.
Weather: 54 Partly Cloudy
Game: 25-TNU
Southern Indiana 10, Trevecca Nazarene 2 (Mar 22, 2017 at Nashville, TN) (Game 2)
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Southern Indiana…. 230 032Â – 10 11Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (21-5)
Trevecca Nazarene… 110 000Â -Â 2Â 9Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (10-15)
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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Atkisson,Courtney and Hodges, Haley. Trevecca Nazarene –
POWELL, Morgan; GREEN, Taylor(3); IVY, Sammie Jo(5) and CRUMPLER, Kaitlin; COLLINS, Mary.
Win-Atkisson,Courtney(7-3)Â Loss-POWELL, Morgan(1-4)Â T-1:55Â A-65
HR USI – Hodges, Haley; Logan, Alex; Schubert, Allison.
Weather: 55 Partly cloudy
Game: 26-TNU
