4/1-2/2017 — Maryville Spring Invitational
The Quarry at Crystal Springs — Maryland Heights, Missouri
Par 70, 5807 yards — 6 teams, 35 players

University of Southern Indiana senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) has been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Player of the Week for the second straight Monday.

Hodges hit .684 (13-of-19) with three doubles and six RBIs as the No. 10 Screaming Eagles posted a 5-1 record on the week, including a 3-1 record on the road in GLVC play. In GLVC play alone, Hodges went 10-of-12 (.833) at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored.

The award is Hodges’ fourth-career GLVC weekly honor and marks the fourth straight week and sixth time in the last seven weeks that a USI Softball player has been recognized with a weekly accolade by the GLVC.

In addition to Hodges, sophomore second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana), senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) and freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky) have earned a GLVC weekly award this season.

Leonhardt had some tough luck in the bid for her third GLVC Pitcher of the Week honor as Rockhurst University senior Bridgette Sappington earned the award for the second straight week. Leonhardt, who had a no-hitter in USI’s win over the University of Illinois Springfield Sunday, went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a .078 opponent batting average last week.

Sappington, however, went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and did not allow a hit in three appearances. She also had a perfect game against Maryville University on Friday.

USI (29-7, 8-4 GLVC) returns to action Tuesday at 2 p.m. when it hosts GLVC rival Bellarmine University in a doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. The Eagles also visit Saint Joseph’s College for a GLVC twinbill Saturday at noon before traveling to Indianapolis to take on No. 14 University of Indianapolis Sunday at 11 a.m. (CDT).

The USI-UIndy doubleheader figures to be a key battle in the race for the top spot in the GLVC standings as well as the Midwest Region rankings, which are set to be released Wednesday, April 19.

Live stats and GLVC Sports Network coverage for Tuesday and Sunday’s doubleheaders can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com. Coverage for Saturday’s games is to be announced.

USI Softball Headlines

• Leonhardt tosses no-hitter.Freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardttossed USI Softball’s first no-hitter in more than four years when she blanked Illinois Springfield Sunday. Brooke Harmening, USI’s volunteer pitching coach, tossed USI’s last no-hitter against UW-Parkside March 23, 2013.

• Shutting down GLVC offenses.Leonhardt’s no-hitter was just the latest in a string of impressive performances by the freshman right-hander. Leonhardt has a league-best 0.31 ERA in GLVC-only games and is holding conference hitters to a GLVC-best .139 batting average. She has eight complete-game shutouts this season, including her last three starts.

• Hodges, Fossett punishing opposing pitchers. Senior catcher Haley Hodges and junior first baseman Marleah Fossett have been a thorn in opposing pitchers’ sides as of late. Hodges, who broke USI’s career records for home runs and RBIs, is hitting .632 with four doubles, a home run and 14 RBIs in USI’s last 12 games, while Fossett is hitting .500 with four doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs in USI’s last eight contests.

• Eagles move back into Top 10.The Eagles jumped four spots to No. 10 in the latest NFCA Top 25 poll, matching the highest ranking in program history. In addition to USI, the GLVC is represented by No. 14 Indianapolis, while the University of Missouri-St. Louis is receiving votes outside the Top 25. The next ranking is released Wednesday, April 5.

• One-run losses mounting.All seven of USI’s losses this season have been by one run, while three of the losses have come either in the last at bat or extra innings.

• Eagles racking up GLVC accolades. Four USI Softball players have earned a GLVC weekly honor this year, with senior catcher Haley Hodgesbeing the most recent. Hodges (March 27/April 3), senior shortstop Lexi Reese(March 13) and sophomore second baseman Claire Johnson (February 27) have each earned GLVC Player of the Week accolades; while freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (February 20/March 20) has twice been named GLVC Pitcher of the Week.
• Hodges named to Player of Year watch list.Senior catcher Haley Hodges is one of 50 student-athletes from across the country to be selected to the watch list for the NFCA/Schutt Sports Division II National Player of the Year award. Hodges, a preseason All-American by Fastpitch News, was the Diamond Sports Division II Catcher of the Year as a junior in 2016.
• Record book watch.Several USI players are in the USI career record books:

–Haley Hodges is first in home runs (39) and RBIs (158), third in grand slams (2), third in putouts (835), fifth in walks (67), tied for sixth in doubles (37) and tied for ninth in runs scored (118);

–Grace Clark is tied for fourth in grand slams (1), tied for fifth in home runs (20), tied for eighth in walks (61), 11th in RBIs (98) and 14th in doubles (31);

–Lexi Reese is ninth in doubles (35), tied for 11th in home runs (15) and 14th in RBIs (84);

–Marleah Fossett is tied for 15th in home runs (11).

The Kentucky HBPA, one of the country’s largest horsemen’s organizations, has endorsed EquiLottery, the innovative lottery product based on the results of live horse racing.

Brad Cummings, EquiLottery’s founder and chief executive officer, called the stamp of approval from the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association “an important piece in moving the game towards adoption in its home state of Kentucky and beyond.

“We are delighted to count the Kentucky HBPA as core supporters of our mission to bring the excitement of live horse racing to the masses through our unprecedented lottery experience,” Cummings said. “This organization has been a friend of EquiLottery since our public unveiling, and their support has been foundational to our continued momentum. We thank their entire leadership team for standing with us while we have dedicated ourselves to creating this new distribution and revenue opportunity for horse racing and increasing returns to the good causes supported by state lotteries around the country.”

The Kentucky HBPA represents about 6,000 owners and trainers racing at the commonwealth’s five Thoroughbred tracks, working on issues such as funding and increasing race purses, ensuring safety measures at the track and assisting in services that take care of the professional and personal needs of their members. The Kentucky HBPA is the second such organization to show public support for EquiLottery, following the endorsement of West Virginia Racing United, which is made up of horsemen’s associations in the Mountain State.

“We have been thrilled to support Brad and his vision for EquiLottery over the years,” said Kentucky HBPA president Rick Hiles. “It is so vital that we bring new people into the sport for this industry to have the bright future we all know it can enjoy. While we welcome any new revenue opportunities, the HBPA is most enthusiastic about the chance to introduce millions of people across the country to the excitement of live horse racing through this important innovation. EquiLottery is by far the best model we have seen to accomplish this goal. We wholeheartedly back this product and ask state leadership in Kentucky to do the same.”

Since its public announcement over the summer of 2014, EquiLottery has worked diligently to develop its lottery product based on the results of live horse racing. The company has structured agreements with lottery-industry leader IGT Global Solutions and tote-system leader AmTote International to deliver a cohesive lottery experience for state lotteries and their players.

EquiLottery recently announced its first racetrack agreements with Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Eldorado Resorts’ Mountaineer Park, both in West Virginia. The Kentucky-based company is also in development on its IOS and Android mobile app that will allow players to watch races live and on replay, scan tickets and set push notifications for upcoming races — all from the convenience of their mobile devices.