BOLIVAR, Mo.—Freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) tossed her first career collegiate no-hitter and senior third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois) drove in seven runs as No. 20 University of Southern Indiana Softball matched a program-record for consecutive wins (18) by sweeping a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from host Southwest Baptist University Sunday afternoon.

The Screaming Eagles (30-8, 16-0 GLVC) began the day with an 8-5 victory over the Bearcats in game one before racking up 15 hits in an 11-0, five-inning victory in game two.

Seven different Eagles had a hit in the opening game as USI pulled away from the Bearcats thanks to a two-run sixth inning and two-run seventh frame.

USI had a run in the top of the second, two in the third, and one in the fourth, but the Bearcats matched the Eagles in each frame as the two teams went into the sixth inning in a 4-4 tie.

Freshman outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) had a two-run double to put USI up 6-4 in the sixth inning.

Southwest Baptist (6-28, 0-16) could not match the Eagles in the bottom of the frame as USI took the two-run lead into the seventh. Sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) and sophomore catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) each drove in runs in the seventh as USI extended its advantage to 8-4.

The Bearcats tacked on another tally in the bottom of the seventh, but freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) was able to hold on for the victory. Gotshall (6-0) picked up the win after giving up four runs off seven hits in five innings of work.

Bean, junior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana), junior second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois), and sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) each had RBIs in the first four innings.

Fair, Martinez, and Bean each played a big role in the Eagles’ six-run first inning in game two. Fair had a two-run triple to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead, while Martinez drove in Fair three batters later with an RBI single.

Bean capped off the six-run inning with a three-run double as USI sent 11 batters to the plate in the opening frame.

The Eagles got an RBI-single from Kihega in the second inning and an RBI-double from junior pitcher/designated player Allie Goodin(Evansville, Indiana) in the third to extend their advantage to 8-0.

Bean hit a three-run bomb in the fourth inning to push USI’s lead to double-digits, giving Newman more than enough cushion to secure her third straight shutout.

Newman (10-3) worked around four walks and a hit batter as she finished with four strikeouts to record the Eagles’ first no-hitter since Jennifer Leonhardt’s no-hitter against Angelo State University in the second round of the NCAA II Softball Championship on May 26, 2018.

USI returns to action Friday at 11 a.m. (CDT) when it visits No. 5 University of Indianapolis (34-4, 14-2 GLVC) in a battle for first place in the GLVC. The Eagles also host McKendree University in a GLVC doubleheader Saturday at noon at the USI Softball Field.

Notes:
• Newman has not allowed a run in the last 19 1/3 innings of work. She has allowed just three hits in her last three starts and is holding opponents to a .049 batting average during that span.
• USI’s 18-game winning streak matches the program record, which was set during the 2005 season. USI followed an 0-8 start to the 2005 season with 18 straight wins.