University of Southern Indiana Softball freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) tossed USI’s first no-hitter in four years as the No. 14 Screaming Eagles swept a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from host University of Illinois Springfield Sunday afternoon.
USI (29-7, 8-4 GLVC) won game one, 4-2, before blanking Illinois Springfield, 2-0, in the night cap.
The no-hitter was the first since former USI standout and current volunteer pitching coach Brooke Harmening held the University of Wisconsin-Parkside hitless March 23, 2013.
The Eagles return to action Tuesday at 2 p.m. when they host GLVC rival Bellarmine University in a doubleheader at the USI Softball Field.
Game 1 | Southern Indiana 4, Illinois Springfield 2
-Box Score
USI had three straight hits to open the game as it jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Junior first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) had an RBI-double to put the Eagles up, 1-0, while senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) followed with a sacrifice fly to push across USI’s second tally.
Hodges’ RBI-double in the fifth frame put USI up, 3-0, while junior designated player Alex Logan (Carleton, Michigan) gave USI a 4-0 advantage with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.
Illinois Springfield (19-17, 5-7 GLVC) got a couple runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but that was all the Prairie Stars could come up with as sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) ended the threat for her fourth complete-game win of the year.
Bradley (4-2), who had a shutout going through 6.2 innings of work, gave up two runs off seven hits to pick up the win.
Game 2 | Southern Indiana 2, Illinois Springfield 0
-Box Score
Leonhardt (16-1) allowed just four base-runners as she recorded her first-career no-hitter and eighth complete-game shutout of the season. She struck out three batters, allowed just two walks and hit a batter en route her third complete-game shutout of the week.
USI took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Fossett launched her fifth home run of the season over the centerfield fence. Hodges added to USI’s advantage in the sixth as her RBI-single scored senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana), who had reached on a one-out double two batters earlier.
Leonhardt, who lowered her miniscule ERA versus GLVC teams to 0.31, never let a runner get past second base. She retired the side in order four times.
Southern Indiana 4, Illinois Springfield 2 (Apr 02, 2017 at Springfield, IL) (Game 1)
Southern Indiana…. 200 010 1 -Â 4 15Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (28-7, 7-4 GLVC)
Illinois Springfield 000 000 2 -Â 2Â 7Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (19-16, 5-6 GLVC)
Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Bradley, Caitlyn and Hodges, Haley. Illinois Springfield –
Goff, Rachel; Craver, Jaycee(3); Moore, Brittany(7) and Gosbeth, Amanda.
Win-Bradley, Caitlyn(4-2)Â Loss-Goff, Rachel(2-3)Â T-1:35Â A-80
Weather: 60, sunny
Goff, R. faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
Craver, J. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Game: 35-UIS
Southern Indiana 2, Illinois Springfield 0 (Apr 02, 2017 at Springfield, IL) (Game 2)
Southern Indiana…. 000 101 0 -Â 2Â 5Â 1Â Â Â Â Â (29-7, 8-4 GLVC)
Illinois Springfield 000 000 0 -Â 0Â 0Â 0Â Â Â Â Â (19-17, 5-7 GLVC)
Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley. Illinois Springfield –
Haesele, Ali and Gosbeth, Amanda.
Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(16-1)Â Loss-Haesele, Ali(11-5)Â T-1:25Â A-75
HR USI – Fossett, Marleah (5).
Weather: 60, sunny
Game: 36-UIS
