LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—University of Southern Indiana Softball matched its season-high winning streak of seven games Thursday afternoon as the No. 16 Screaming Eagles earned an 11-2, five-inning victory over Le Moyne College before grabbing a 2-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State University on the fifth day of The Spring Games.

USI (15-3) concludes The Spring Games Friday when it takes on the University of Sioux Falls at 5 p.m. (CST) and Northern State University at 7:30 p.m.

Southern Indiana (15-3) 11, Le Moyne (10-5) 2

USI Softball used a three-run second inning and an eight-run fourth inning to breeze past Le Moyne, 11-2, in five innings to begin its fifth day of competition at The Spring Games.

Junior outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois) had an RBI-single in the second inning as the Eagles took advantage of a pair of walks, a hit batter and two errors to score their first three runs.

Sophomore utility player Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs in the fourth inning alone as USI broke the game wide open. Bradley began the inning with a solo shot over the centerfield fence and went back to the plate to record an RBI-single.

A double by sophomore second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) followed by an error in the next at-bat put the Eagles up, 5-0, while senior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) gave the Eagles an 8-0 cushion with a three-run bomb over the centerfield fence.

The Eagles tacked on another tally on a pair of wild pitches, while Bradley’s RBI-single put USI up, 10-0. Clark-Kittleson drove in Bradley in the next at-bat with an RBI-single to centerfield to complete USI’s eight-run inning.

Le Moyne, which is receiving votes in the latest NFCA Top 25 poll, got a two-run home run off freshman pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt(Louisville, Kentucky) in the bottom of the fourth inning to break-up the shutout; but that is all Leonhardt would give up as she picked-up the complete-game victory.

Leonhardt (7-1) scattered five hits throughout five innings, while striking out three batters to earn her fourth straight decision.

Southern Indiana 2, Southwest Minnesota State (5-7) 

The Eagles scored a run on a wild pitch in the second inning and got a solo home run from senior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) in the third en route to a 2-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State.

Sophomore pitcher Courtney Atkisson (Bringhurst, Indiana) recorded her second complete-game shutout of the season as she scattered four hits throughout seven innings to improve to 5-2 on the year.

Southwest Minnesota State had runners at first and second with one out in the seventh inning, but Atkisson induced a fly out and a groundout in consecutive at-bats to end the threat and preserve the Eagles’ seventh straight win.

Southern Indiana 11, Le Moyne 2 (Mar 09, 2017 at Lake County, FL)

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Southern Indiana…. 030 80 – 11  8  1      (14-3)

Le Moyne………… 000 20 -  2  5  3      (10-5)

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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Leonhardt, Jennifer and Hodges, Haley. Le Moyne – Marisa DuVal;

Taylor Artley(5) and Emily Bagley.

Win-Leonhardt, Jennifer(7-1)  Loss-Marisa DuVal(0-1)  T-1:35  A-77

HR USI – Hodges, Haley (4); Bradley, Caitlyn (2).

HR LEM – Peyton Bellrose.

Game: 17-TSG

Southern Indiana 2, SW Minnesota State 0 (Mar 09, 2017 at Lake County, FL)

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Southern Indiana…. 011 000 0 -  2  5  2      (15-3)

SW Minnesota State.. 000 000 0 -  0  4  0      (5-7)

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Pitchers: Southern Indiana – Atkisson,Courtney and Hodges, Haley. SW Minnesota State –

Crank, Shelby and Lark, Madison.

Win-Atkisson,Courtney(5-2)  Loss-Crank, Shelby(1-2)  T-1:35  A-64

HR USI – Reese, Lexi (2).

Game: 18-TSG

In a match that lasted nearly five hours, University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis grinded out a 5-4 win over Stonehill College at the USTA National Center in Melbourne, Florida.

USI took a 2-1 lead after doubles play with senior Brenna Wu (Evansville, Indiana) and freshman Lauren Hambrock (Terre Haute, Indiana) picked up the win at number two doubles 8-3. Also picking up a doubles win was freshman Alex Jamison (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) and junior Jennifer Mizikar (Batavia, Illinois) at number three 8-5.

In singles play, five of the six matches went all three sets. Jamison won at number five in the only match not to go all three sets, 6-3, 6-1. At number one, junior Kelsey Shipman (Olney, Illinois) grabbed a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 win. Senior Kymberly Brannon (Louisville, Kentucky) sealed the win for the Screaming Eagles with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory at number four.

Wu, Hambrock and junior Haley Jones (Ft. Branch, Indiana) all battled through three sets, but were unable to come away with victories.

USI wraps up its spring trip with a match against Bentley University tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. (CST) in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Southern Indiana 5, Stonehill College 4
Mar 09, 2017 at Melbourne Florida (USTA National Center)

UE wraps up strong week in Florida

 ORLANDO, Fla. – In the final two matches of their trip to Florida, the University of Evansville women’s tennis team earned a split on Thursday.  The Purple Aces defeated South Dakota by a final of 4-3 before falling to Furman, 7-0.

Head coach Jayson Wiseman was proud of his squad in the win over South Dakota

“This was a good win against a tough South Dakota team. We came out aggressive and ready to play and we’re able to secure the doubles point,” Wiseman said.  “That point was huge because USD fought back hard and took three of the singles matches. Andrea & Daria did a great job of securing the win for us at 4 & 6 singles with straight set wins.”

Wiseman commented on how facing a good team like Furman will pay dividends down the road.

“This match was a good learning experience for our team. Furman is a top 50-60 team in the country and they showed it tonight,” Wiseman added.  “We put up so good fight at third doubles, fifth singles, and sixth singles but ultimately they proved to be the better team today. Despite the loss this is a good match for us to see the level we are looking to build towards.”

UE’s win over South Dakota featured a nice start in doubles as Chieko Yamada and Theodora Soldatou earned a 6-1 win in the top flight while Diana Tkachenko and Nicoli Pereira won by a 6-3 tally in the second flight.

The Aces clinched the match by splitting the six singles points, including Tkachenko taking down Barbora Kollarova at #2 singles, 6-1, 6-3.  Daria Pentsova was victorious in the fourth flight, defeating Nanette Nylund, 6-1, 7-5.  Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga grabbed the win at #6 singles, beating Maria Pandya, 6-3, 6-2.

On Sunday, the Aces remain on the road in Cape Girardeau, Mo. where they will take on SEMO at 9 a.m. and Maryville at noon.

Tennis Match Results

South Dakota vs University of Evansville

Mar 09, 2017 at Orlando, Fla.

(USTA National Campus)

 

University of Evansville 4, South Dakota 3

 

Singles competition

1. Ellie Burns (USD) def. Chieko Yamada (UE) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5-0)
2. Diana Tkachenko (UE) def. Barbora Kollarova (USD) 6-1, 6-3
3. Yuliya Sidenko (USD) def. Nicoli Pereira (UE) 6-0, 6-2
4. Daria Pentsova (UE) def. Nanette Nylund (USD) 6-1, 7-5
5. Anastasia Bondarenko (USD) def. Theodora Soldatou (UE) 6-3, 3-0, retired
6. Andrea Pascual-Larri (UE) def. Maria Pandya (USD) 6-3, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. Chieko Yamada/Theodora Soldatou (UE) def. Barbora Kollarova/Nanette Nylund (USD) 6-1
2. Diana Tkachenko/Nicoli Pereira (UE) def. Yuliya Sidenko/Anastasia Bondarenko (USD) 6-3

Tennis Match Results

University of Evansville vs Furman

Mar 09, 2017 at Orlando, Fla.

(USTA National Campus)

 

Furman 7, University of Evansville 0

 

Singles competition

1. Ansley Speaks (FUR) def. Chieko Yamada (UE) 6-0, 6-1
2. Danni Vines (FUR) def. Diana Tkachenko (UE) 6-1, 6-2
3. Katarina Kozarov (FUR) def. Nicoli Pereira (UE) 6-0, 6-1
4. Hannah Ferrett (FUR) def. Daria Pentsova (UE) 6-1, 6-3
5. Blair Martin (FUR) def. Andrea Pascual-Larri (UE) 6-4, 6-3
6. Aryn Greene (FUR) def. Andjela Brguljan (UE) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Ansley Speaks/Aryn Greene (FUR) def. Chieko Yamada/Theodora Soldatou (UE) 6-2
2. Katty Weymouth/Danni Vines (FUR) def. Daria Pentsova/Andjela Brguljan (UE) 6-0
3. Katarina Kozarov/Blair Martin (FUR) def. Diana Tkachenko/Andrea Pascual-Larri (UE) 7-6 (7-3)