EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball will honor its 2022 senior class this weekend when it hosts Maryville University and Missouri University of Science & Technology in a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheaders at the USI Softball Field.

The Screaming Eagles (32-10, 18-2 GLVC), who remained No. 17 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, square off against Maryville Saturday at noon before hosting Missouri S&T for Senior Day Sunday at noon.

USI will honor its six seniors—pitcher/designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana), third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois), pitcher Elissa Brown (Brownsburg, Indiana), outfielder Mikaela Domico (Naperville, Illinois), pitcher Maddie Duncan (Lynnville, Indiana) and catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois)—following Sunday’s doubleheader with the Miners.

In addition to their standing in the NFCA Top 25, the Eagles were ranked No. 3 in the first NCAA II Midwest Region rankings.

USI’s games this weekend will be aired on the GLVC Sports Network as well as 95.7 The Spin, while live stats, audio and video can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com. ­

USI Softball Notes
• Eagles ranked No. 3 in region rankings. USI checked in at No. 3 on the first NCAA Division II Midwest Region ranking of the year. Indianapolis (1st) and Grand Valley State (3rd) were listed above the Eagles, while Drury (4th) and Lindenwood (5th) rounded out the top five. Ohio Dominican (6th), Findlay (7th), Missouri-St. Louis (8th), Illinois Springfield (9th) and Saginaw Valley State (10th) rounded out the first of three regional rankings. Six of the teams listed are GLVC schools, while five GLVC teams are listed in the top eight.

• USI holds position in NFCA Top 25. The Eagles stayed put at No. 17 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll. Indianapolis, which split a doubleheader with the Eagles last Friday, moved up two spots to No. 3, while Grand Valley State held its spot at No. 24.

• Senior Day. USI will honor its six seniors—pitcher/designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana), third baseman Mary Bean(Schaumburg, Illinois), pitcher Elissa Brown (Brownsburg, Indiana), outfielder Mikaela Domico (Naperville, Illinois), pitcher Maddie Duncan(Lynnville, Indiana) and catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois)—following Sunday’s doubleheader with Missouri S&T. This group has helped USI to a 98-56 overall record and a 50-24 mark in GLVC play during the last four years.

• USI goes 2-2 last week. The Eagles went 2-2 last week, splitting a GLVC road doubleheader with Indianapolis before coming home to salvage another GLVC doubleheader split with visiting McKendree Saturday.

USI hit just .182 as a team on the week, but got clutch efforts from several players, including a walk-off home run by sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) in the bottom of the eighth inning of USI’s 2-1 win over McKendree and a two-run home run from Bean in the top of the seventh inning of USI’s 4-3 win over Indianapolis. Freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) came off the bench to keep the Eagles afloat en route to getting the win against UIndy, while freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) had the save against UIndy before striking out 15 batters in USI’s win over McKendree.

• Season leaders. Back leads USI with a .391 batting average, while Fair is hitting .389 with three triples and a team-leading 13 doubles, seven home runs and 38 RBI. The Eagles have nine players hitting .300 or better on the season and have six players with 20-or-more RBI on the year.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis earned a dominating victory in their final home match over Indiana University Southeast on Wednesday, 6-1. The Screaming Eagles move to 9-8 (0-4 GLVC) while the Grenadiers move to 6-10. USI finishes off the home season, going 7-4 on the year.
 
SINGLES:
The Eagles came out flying to start the match winning the three singles matches. Sophomore Dylan Brown (Evansville, Indiana) started it off for the Eagles in the number six singles, easily taking down his opponent, 6-1 6-0. In the number five singles, freshman Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana) followed up Browns performance with a dominating one of his own, taking down his opponent, 6-1 6-2. Senior Marvin Kromer (Germany) took care of his match in the number four singles swiftly, 6-0 6-1. After IU Southeast was able to claim the number one singles match, senior Parker Collignon (Owensboro, Kentucky) claimed the match victory for the Eagles, taking down his opponent, 6-4 6-1. In the number two singles, graduate Spencer Blandford (Louisville, Kentucky) finished off the singles matches with a tough victory over his opponent, 6-4 7-6 (6-2).
 
DOUBLES:
USI continued to dominate in the doubles matches, winning all three matches, claiming the point. In the number three doubles Gillespie and freshman Guy Finkelstein (Israel) took care of their opponent easily, 6-2. This was Finkelstein’s first win of the season. Blandford and junior Preston Cameron (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) took care of the number one singles, 6-3. Kromer and junior Lucas Sakamaki (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) finished off the match, taking the number two singles match, 6-3.
 
UP NEXT FOR USI:
The Eagles head on the road to finish the regular season as they head to Romeoville, Illinois to take on Lewis University on April 22 at 2 p.m. USI then finishes off the regular season as they travel to take on the University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana at 10 a.m. (CDT) on April 23.

Aces split doubleheader in Terre Haute

 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Sophomore Alexa Davis came through with a 2-run game-winning home run to help the University of Evansville softball team earn a doubleheader split at Indiana State.  The Sycamores opened the day with a 16-3 win before Evansville rallied for a 3-2 triumph in game two on Wednesday at Price Field.

 

Game One – Indiana State 16, UE 3

An 8-run first inning by Indiana State set the tone before they finished with a 16-3 win in five innings.  Home runs by Amanda Guercio and Annie Tokarek contributed to the big start.  The Sycamores chased Purple Aces starter Izzy Vetter from the game after just 2/3 of an inning.  She allowed eight earned runs on seven hits.

ISU continued to add to the lead, plating two in the second, four in the third and two more to cap off the fourth.  Despite the large deficit, the Aces finished strong, scoring three runs in the top half of the fifth.  Jenna Nink got things going, hitting a leadoff double and with two outs, Haley Woolf picked up a 2-RBI single to put Evansville on the board.  Alexa Davis followed with an RBI double to plate the third run.  A pair of walks loaded the bases before ISU was able to record the final out to seal the win.

Game Two – UE 3, Indiana State 2

After Indiana State scored the opening run in the first, Evansville plated the tying run in the top of the third with some small ball.  Mackenzie McFeron singled to lead off before stealing second.  After advancing to third on a flyout to center field, she scored on an RBI groundout from Marah Wood.  The game did not remain tied for long as ISU retook the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.

With two outs and her team trailing by a 2-1 score in the fifth, Alexa Davis came through with one of the biggest plays of the season.  A 2-run blast to center field put Evansville in front for the first time at 3-2.  Sydney Weatherford kept the Sycamores off the board from there as the Aces fended off a late challenge to win by a 3-2 final.

Weatherford allowed two runs, one earned, on eight hits.  She recorded her 6^th win of the season.  UE completed the game with seven hits with Davis and Hannah Hood picking up two apiece.  McFeron scored two of UE’s three runs.  Evansville will be back on the road this weekend with a 3-game series at Bradley.  A noon doubleheader on Saturday opens the weekend.