University of Southern Indiana Softball is heading back to the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional for the second straight year thanks to a 2-1 win over No. 9 Grand Valley State University in the “if necessary” game of the NCAA II Midwest Region #1 Tournament Sunday afternoon.

The Screaming Eagles (34-23), who needed just one win on the day, fell to the Lakers, 5-3, in the first game.

USI will open up Super Regionals Thursday at 1:30 p.m. when it visits the University of Illinois Springfield at the Land of Lincoln Junior Olympic Softball Complex in Springfield, Illinois. The best-of-three series continues with game two Friday at noon, while the “if necessary” game is Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Game 1: #9 GVSU 5, USI 3 (Box Score)
A combined eight runs were scored in the second inning as GVSU scored five times in the top half of the inning to build a 5-0 lead before the Eagles answered with a three spot in the bottom half of the inning to cut into the early deficit.

GVSU (44-9) had five hits, including a solo home run and back-to-back run-scoring doubles to produce its offense in the second.

The Eagles took advantage of an infield single and two walks to set up junior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) for a two-out, three-run double that nearly went over the fence for a grand slam.

Despite the offensive outburst, both teams settled down on the defensive end to hold the opposing offenses in check throughout the final five frames. Junior pitcher Haylee Smith (Florence, Kentucky) came on in relief in the second frame and scattered three hits throughout 5 1/3 innings of work to keep the Lakers off the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, the Eagles got back-to-back hits to leadoff of the fifth inning, but GVSU junior pitcher Allison Lipovsky got back-to-back fly balls followed by a strikeout to retire the threat.

Sophomore pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs off four hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Leonhardt (19-12) had a pair of strikeouts and walked one batter in the loss.

Game 2: USI 2, #9 GVSU 1 (Box Score)
Junior outfielder Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) hit a two-out double off the top of the fence in the top half of the fourth inning to give USI a 2-0 lead and Smith navigated her way to a complete-game victory in the circle as USI was triumphant in the “if necessary” game.

Bradley’s double looked like a three-run home run, but it somehow bounced back into the outfield as USI had to settle for two runs.

Smith (6-5) remained in the circle to pitch the beginning of the game and was so affective in keeping the Lakers’ hitters off balance, USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle opted to leave her in for the duration.

GVSU threatened throughout the contest, including the second inning when senior outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois) threw out a runner at home plate. The Lakers, who had runners on base in each of the first six innings, loaded the bases in the fourth inning but could not break through.

After the Lakers put a run across in the fifth frame to cut USI’s advantage in half, GVSU had the leadoff runner on board in the sixth inning only to hit into a double play. Two batters later, with a runner at first base, USI junior outfielder Allison Schubert (Nicholasville, Kentucky) made an over the shoulder grab at the warning track in right field to keep the Lakers off the scoreboard.

Smith, who allowed just one run off nine hits and three walks, retired the Lakers in order in the seventh to complete the victory and bring the Eagles to within two wins of their second consecutive trip to the NCAA II Softball Championship.

The University of Evansville got out to a fast start, however Indiana State’s bats proved to be faster in a marathon game, as the Sycamores downed the Purple Aces 14-9 Sunday afternoon at Bob Warn Field, taking the series’ rubber match.

“Our offense gave us a chance today on Sunday Funday in the Valley with the series on the line”, said Aces Head Coach Wes Carroll. “But from a pitching standpoint, we couldn’t get a guy to get hot and get us outs. So we had to keep going to the pen.”

The Aces came out swinging, putting up four runs in the opening frame, highlighted by junior second baseman Sam Troyer’s three run home run, his second round tripper of the season. Evansville would tack on another tally in the top of the second inning on sophomore left fielder Troy Beilsmith’s RBI single left, driving in senior shortstop Stewart Nelson, putting UE out in front 5-0.

After tossing a perfect first inning, sophomore hurler David Ellis ran into trouble in the second, as Indiana State tallied three runs, spearheaded by an RBI single by Roberto Enriquez. Ellis would stay into finish the frame, however his day was over two innings. From there, the Aces went through their entire bullpen, sending 8 relievers to the hill. The Sycamores would put up eleven more tallies on the board.

“We had a tough time with command all day”, said Carroll. “And that’s unfortunate.”

Evansville’s bats would battle back, with the second of two RBI singles from freshman third baseman Tanner Craig, a solo home run off the bat of senior first baseman Dalton Horstmeier, then a two-run single from Horstmeier. However, it wasn’t enough, as the Aces dropped the five-run decision.

“Our guys were still fighting and competing, and I’m proud of their overall effort”, said Carroll. “We just didn’t do enough to get a series win on the road in the Valley.”

The loss drops the Aces to 10-35 on the season and 2-16 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Indiana State improves to 26-21 and 8-10 in the MVC.

Evansville is back on the road Tuesday night as they play the back end of their home-and-home series with Belmont.

The University of Evansville men’s and women’s track and field teams took to Gibson Track and Field Complex as the Purple Aces continued to set program records on the second day of the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

One of the most impressive performances of the day came in the men’s 800 meters preliminaries as freshman Stanley Chepchieng broke a 35-year old program record. Chepchieng, who had been inching closer and closer to the program mark throughout the regular season, captured the record for his own with a time of 1:53.46, finishing in 11th.

In the women’s 100 meter dash prelims, Monica Watkins led a pair of Purple Aces freshmen in the sprint with a time of 13.08 seconds, earning her a 19th-place finish, while Taylor Williams finished in 20th with a time of 15.91 seconds. On the men’s side, freshman Aaron Straight was the lone Ace in the sprint as Straight finished in 19th, crossing the line in a time of 11.82 seconds.
Freshman Lizzy Walston paced the Evansville contingent in the prelims of the 400 meter dash as Walston captured a 21st-place finish in a time of 1:00.92, just over a tenth of a second off the Aces’ program record. Following Walston was freshman Kylie Hasenour who crossed the finish line in a time of 1:07.97 in 23rd. In the men’s 400 meter dash, freshman Dawson Hood finished in 20th, crossing the line in a time of 59.50.

For the women in the 800 meters prelims, junior Sienna Crews set a new personal record and the second-best time in program history clocking a 2:19.85, finishing in 15th. Freshmen Sarah Poltrack (2:40.20) and Lexi Sutherland 2:54.39) earned 21st and 23rd place finishes for the Aces.

Freshman Samantha Bittner improved upon her own program record in the women’s 100 meter hurdles prelims with a time of 16.35 seconds, earning Bittner a 15th-place finish.

Bittner set her second program record of the day in the women’s 400 meter hurdles prelims as the freshman blew past her previous best time by nearly two seconds with a time of 1:11.23 as Bittner finished in 13th.

In the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, freshman Anna Lowry shattered her own program record by more than 22 seconds, capturing a 14th-place finish crossing the line in a time of 11:41.59. A pair of freshmen in Ethan Price (10:10.65) and Kalen Ochs (10:59.69) took to the track for the Aces men in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, finishing in 20th and 21st, respectively.

Freshman Kylie Hasenour represented the Aces in the women’s long jump as Hasenour finished 19th with a distance of 3.50 meters. Earning a 17th-place finish for Evansville’s men in the long jump was freshman Kevin Yeung, who recorded a jump of 5.56 meters.

Finishing just a tenth of a meter off of one another in the men’s shot put were freshman Chris Zapata and junior Ryan Freeman. Zapata paced Evansville with a 14th place finish with a throw of 11.69 meters, while Freeman followed just behind with a throw of 11.59 meters. On the women’s side, Brittany Corley finished in 16th with a throw of 8.97 meters, earning the freshman a 16th-place finish.

The final day of competition begins on Sunday with field events beginning with the women’s triple jump at 11:30 a.m. and action on the track starting at 1 p.m. with the women’s 4×100 meter relay, directly followed by the men’s 4×100 meter relay. Live coverage of the final day’s competition is available on ESPN + beginning at 11:45 a.m. (CT).