Game 1
Leonhardt (2-2) racked up eight strikeouts and held the Timberwolves (2-1) to just four hits as the Eagles earned the 2-0 win in the opener. Senior shortstop Taylor Ricketts had a two-out, RBI-double in the home half of the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie, while an RBI-single by freshman second baseman Rachel Martinez in the fifth frame put the Eagles up 2-0.
The Eagles (4-3) were held without a hit throughout the first three innings of the game, but a single by freshman pitcher/first baseman Allie Goodin to lead off the fourth got things going for USI’s offense.
Game 2
USI was a victim of not having the last at-bat in a nightcap that featured five lead changes. Ferris State (2-4) struck first, gaining a 1-0 lead with a tally in the bottom of the first inning, but USI capitalized on Ferris State errors in both the second and third innings to surge in front, 3-1.
The lead turned out to be brief as Ferris State scored twice in the last half of the third to tie the game before scorching USI for three runs in the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-3 advantage.
USI, however, wasted little time in responding to the Bulldogs’ surge as the Eagles scored four two-out runs in the top of the fifth inning to retake the lead, 7-6. Ricketts, who drove in a run in the second and third innings, had her third RBI of the game when she drove in the Eagles’ first run of the fifth on a sacrifice fly. Sophomore pitcher/infielder Katie Back had an RBI-double in the next at-bat to get the Eagles to within a run, while freshman catcher/infielder Sammie Kihega followed two batters later with a pinch-hit, two-run single to put the Eagles in front 7-6.
Once again, the Eagles, lead was short-lived as Ferris State capitalized on a lead-off double and a two-out, USI error to push across its seventh run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Ferris State got a one-out, walk-off home run off the bat of sophomore first baseman Kaitlyn Orme to hand the Eagles their third loss of the year.
Back (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, four earned off five hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Goodin started the game, giving up three runs, two earned, off four hits in three innings of action. Both finished with three strikeouts.
Notes
Sophomore catcher Courtney Schoolcraft went 1-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI-double, while Leonhardt had a seven-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 performance at the plate against Ferris State…Friday’s games were back an hour due to frigid temperatures in the Indianapolis area.
Up next
The Eagles return to action Saturday when they take on Ohio Dominican University and West Virginia State University at noon and 2 p.m. (CST), respectively.
