JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (4-13) captured a pair of wins on Sunday against Indiana University Southeast (2-11) and Hanover College (5-7).
The Screaming Eagles took down IU Southeast 7-0, along with another victory over Hanover College 6-1.
Vs. IU Southeast
USI jumped on the Grenadiers right out of the gate winning all three doubles competitions highlighted by sophomores Mathys Bove (Lyon, France) and Axel Sabourin (Marseille, France) doubles one victory, 6-2.
Bove carried the momentum into helping the Eagles win all six singles matches. Bove won his team leading ninth singles match 6-1, 6-0. Senior Dylan Brown (Evansville, Indiana), junior Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana), and Sabourin won their matches by the same score as Bove.
Blake Deaton (Indianapolis, Indiana) added his fourth singles victory of the season and Eytan Michaeli (Beer Sheva, Isreal) took care of his singles number two opponent.
Vs. Hanover College
USI used the same doubles combinations as the morning match to earn three comfortable victories. Brown and Gillespie picked up their sixth victory as a duo for the season.
The Eagles overpowered Hanover winning five of the six singles matches. Michaeli, Sabourin, and Gillespie were locked in winning their matches 6-1, 6-0. Bove and Brown swept their opponents 6-0, 6-0.
Men’s Tennis beat IU Southeast and Hanover on Sunday
USI honors late Schoolcraft, comes up short against EIU on Sunday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On a day of celebration and remembrance at USI Softball Field, University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its series against Eastern Illinois University with a narrow 2-0 loss on Sunday afternoon, as the two sides began a big series between the top two schools in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The day started with a heartfelt recognition and a moment of silence for the late USI Softball alumna and former catcher Courtney Schoolcraft, who passed away on April 3 after a fight with cancer. Schoolcraft graduated in 2022 but battled clear cell sarcoma since 2019 when she played for the Screaming Eagles. USI wore the color yellow to honor Schoolcraft and help raise cancer awareness. Plus, Schoolcraft’s number 8 and yellow ribbons were painted in the grass behind home plate in her honor. Following the moment of silence, yellow balloons were released into the blue skies with the help of USI Softball alumni in attendance on Sunday.
Once the game began, a much-anticipated pitcher’s duel between two of the top pitchers in the OVC in USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Eastern Illinois freshman pitcher Mackenzie Oslanzi took place. Each pitcher surrendered a hit in the first inning but allowed no runs to score. The game remained knotted at zero through three innings.
In the fourth inning, the Panthers led off with back-to-back singles. Later in the frame, the runner at second base came around to score an unearned run on a defensive misplay by USI to put EIU ahead, 1-0. During the top of the fourth inning, Newman recorded her 500th career strikeout, achieving a milestone that only four other pitchers have reached in USI Softball history.
After two empty innings for both teams in the fifth and sixth innings, Eastern Illinois doubled its lead to 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning on a bases-loaded sac fly.
In the home half of the seventh, USI tried to rally. Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana), who backed up and learned under Schoolcraft as an underclassman in 2020-22, led off with a walk. A few batters later, sophomore Olivia Money (Fort Branch, Indiana) made it first and second for USI with a pinch-hit single. However, with the potential game-winning run at the plate, the Panthers’ Oslanzi halted the Screaming Eagles’ late charge and finished the shutout win for Eastern Illinois.
On the day, Southern Indiana had four hits and Eastern Illinois totaled seven hits toward its two runs.
In the pitching circle, Newman suffered the hard-luck loss following her OVC-leading 20th complete game. Newman moved to 14-6 this season. The junior allowed two runs – one earned – with six strikeouts. Newman ended the day in a tie for fourth in USI history with 502 career strikeouts. Newman also added to her OVC lead in strikeouts (172) and innings pitched (140.0) this season, which would also rank top five in the nation if USI was officially eligible for NCAA statistical rankings.
EIU’s Oslanzi picked up an OVC-best 17th win on Sunday after hurling a full seven innings with four strikeouts. Oslanzi is 17-3 on the campaign.
Following Sunday’s game, Southern Indiana moved to 16-15 overall and 10-6 in conference play, dropping to two games back of first-place Eastern Illinois, who improved to 26-12 overall and 12-4 in the OVC.
The series between the Screaming Eagles and Panthers wraps up Monday with a doubleheader starting at Noon. Both games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. The Spin 95.7 will have radio coverage of game 2 of the doubleheader. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
Eagles earn third straight victories in Jeffersonville, Indiana
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana (10-10) earned their third consecutive victories against Indiana University Southeast (4-10) and Hanover College (4-4) on Sunday both by a score of 7-0.
USI has an opportunity to finish their second season of NCAA Division I with a winning regular season with a victory at Rose-Hulman University on Wednesday. This would mark a monstrous improvement after last season’s 4-15 mark.
Vs. Hanover College
USI used eight different competitors to take down Hanover College in a clean sweep. The Eagles used a few new combinations as freshman Antonia Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) and Sofia Davidoff (Lagny sur-Marne, France), senior Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) and junior Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee), freshman Claire Meyer (New Albany, Indiana) and Lily Meyer (New Albany, Indiana) all dominated their doubles matches, 6-0.
Davidoff picked up a decisive 6-0, 6-0 singles number two win. She has now won an impressive nine out of her last eleven singles matches. L. Meyer earned her first collegiate singles victory of her career, 6-0, 6-1. Sophomore Elle Dewees (Newburgh, Indiana) won her second singles victory of the season. Junior Elle Ossenberg took down her opponent, 6-2, 6-4.
Vs. IU Southeast
The Eagles also used eight competitors in a rout of the Grenadiers. Davidoff and Ferrarini earned the doubles one win number two on the day, 6-1. Freshman Anais Negrail (Maison-Alfort, France) and Rowe left no doubting winning 6-0.
Negrail won her seventh singles victory in her last nine matches, 6-0, 6-0. Sophomore Khandice Thomas (Pickerington, Ohio) earned a hard-victory second victory of her season, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0.
VU comes up short to close out weekend series with No. 15 Lincoln Land
VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball team battled Sunday afternoon at Jerry Blemker Field in the final two games of their four-game weekend Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series with No. 15-ranked Lincoln Land Community College.
The Trailblazers closed out the weekend dropping the Sunday doubleheader 10-5 in game one and 17-6 in game two.
Vincennes got off to an excellent start Sunday afternoon with sophomore Blake Heyerly (Monroe, Ind.) coming through in the bottom of the first with a double to start a two-out rally.
Freshman Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) reached after being hit by pitch, followed by sophomore Brandon Juarez (Evansville, Ind.) drawing a walk to load the bases.
Sophomores Dylan Ecken (Louisville, Ky.) and Bryan Kohlmeyer (Paris, Ill.) got the first two runs across on back-to-back bases loaded walks, followed by an RBI single by sophomore Bryton Griffy (Louisville, Ill.) to put the Blazers on top 3-0 over the Loggers.
Lincoln Land would get those runs back and then some in the next inning with the Loggers scoring seven in the second.
VU would look to work their way back in the third after a two-out double by Bryan Kohlmeyer and a walk by freshman Reed Drabant (Columbia, Ill.).
Kohlmeyer would come around to score on an RBI single by freshman Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.).
Drabant later scored on a double steal with Gross to cut the Blazers deficit to 7-5.
Lincoln Land would answer again in the next inning, scoring two runs in the fourth and adding another run in the fifth.
VU continued to battle and looked to regain the lead late but were unable to get another run across as Lincoln Land took game one of the day 10-5.
Freshman Alex Wandersee (Centerville, Ind.) got the start in game one for Vincennes, throwing four innings, allowing nine runs, three earned runs on six hits and two strikeouts.
Freshman JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) was the first out of the pen for Vincennes, throwing two innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits and striking out one.
Bryce Gross stepped up on the mound from his shortstop position to pitch the seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out two in an inning of work.
“We jumped out early in game one and got a lead,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “Then an error, a walk, a hit batsmen and gave them back seven runs in the second inning after being up 3-0. It’s really disappointing from our guys in that situation but our guys continued to battle and kept it to a 10-5 game.”
“It’s just tough when you think you’ve got guys on the bump who can get it done and we just don’t or we can’t overcome an error and it just compounds and snowballs,” Barney added. “Guys battled and guys competed. We just came up short in game one.”
The Blazers looked to bounce back and close out the weekend strong in game two but again found themselves playing from behind early after the Loggers plated three runs in the second and added another run in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
VU would get on the on the board in the bottom of the third after Bryan Kohlmeyer, freshman Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) and sophomore Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led off the inning with three straight walks.
Kohlmeyer came in to score the first Vincennes run of the game on a wild pitch, while Edlin scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Gross to put VU within two.
Lincoln Land got the runs back with three runs in the fourth, two run in the fifth and put the game away with a big eight-run sixth inning.
The Trailblazers were able to get some action going on the base paths in the sixth after freshman Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.), sophomore Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Dylan Ecken loaded the bases on three walks.
Fessel scored on a passed ball before freshman Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) cleared the bases with a three-run home run, his first collegiate home run.
The late rally was unfortunately not enough as Lincoln Land closed out game two by the final score of 17-6.
Attorney General Todd Rokita co-leading fight against DOJ attempts to hijack election process from states
Attorney General Todd Rokita is co-leading 16 states in fighting federal interference with election laws after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed to deploy armies of lawyers into the states to combat “legislative measures that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to vote.”
“The Biden administration is weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice against the states,” Attorney General Rokita said. “These actions pose a direct threat to democracy, election integrity and the rule of law. We will stand up and defend our rightful authority within the framework of American federalism.”
Speaking in March, Garland said he had “double[d] the number of lawyers in the civil rights division” and “launched the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force” to deal with states allegedly maintaining “discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot.”
Attorney General Rokita and West Virgina Attorney General Patrick Morrisey co-led a 16-state letter to Garland warning that the states would “vigorously defend our election laws” and “not allow intimidation and fearmongering to supersede the will of the people.”
The very premise of Garland’s threats — the idea that states are depriving or hindering U.S. citizens from freely and easily casting votes — is false and ludicrous, the letter notes.
One of the measures at which Garland and others have taken aim is voter ID laws — which they claim disenfranchise eligible voters.
“On the contrary,” the letter states, “voter ID laws prevent voter fraud by stopping those who attempt to impersonate others at the polls. In 2005, Indiana led the charge to preserve election integrity by implementing the first-in-the-nation voter ID law, which requires in-person voters to present a valid government-issued photo ID to vote — (and) the United States Supreme Court held that voter ID laws were constitutional and did not impose a burden on the electorate.”
Amid reports of fraud in various parts of the nation, many Americans distrust the results of the 2020 general election. Some polls indicate more than 30 percent of the electorate believe the election was stolen.
“With voter confidence at an all-time low,” Attorney General Rokita said, “the U.S. Department of Justice should champion voter security measures instead of attacking states that implement them. And the DOJ should respect, as well, the constitutional provisions giving states the role of regulating elections.”
The full letter is attached.
Statement from State Senator Mark Messmer on Iran’s Bombing of Israel
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:: BILLBOARDS URGE DEMOCRATS TO VOTE REPUBLICAN IN PRIMARY
BILLBOARDS URGE DEMOCRATS TO VOTE REPUBLICAN IN PRIMARY
A series of billboards are cropping up around Indiana, and an unusual call to Hoosier Democrats is made: vote Republican this May. The crossover push is part of a media campaign by ReCenter Indiana. This bipartisan group seeks to move state politics “closer to the center” and “bring more civility to political discussions,” according to its website.
FOOTNOTE: The City-County Observer posted this article without bias or editing.
Braun, Baldwin introduce the Ensure Accountability in the De Minimis Act
WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Mike Braun and Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Ensure Accountability in the De Minimis Act. This legislation would provide clarity to what amounts to an illicit de minimis article that does not qualify for the de minimis administrative exemption.
“This bill would increase transparency and accountability for bad actors that take advantage of the de minimis threshold. In recent years, the majority of de minimis shipments have come from China, our top trade competitor. We need to make sure they are not gaming the system.”—Sen. Mike Braun
“We have a responsibility to ensure packages that are coming into our country are not harming Americans, but right now we are falling short. Bad actors in China are taking advantage of a trade loophole to traffic counterfeit goods that undermine our businesses and illegal substances like fentanyl that are crushing our communities. We must do more to stop it. I’m proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to give us tools to better identify these counterfeit products and harmful drugs from coming into the country, hold bad actors accountable, and protect American families. I am glad to take this step forward and will keep fighting to close this trade loophole that is allowing fentanyl into the country.”—Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Vanderburgh County lawmakers: Local communities receive state funding to roll ahead on road projects
STATEHOUSE – Vanderburgh County communities can roll forward with road and bridge projects thanks to a recent boost in state funding supported local legislators.
A total of 252 communities across the state will receive over $207 million through Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program. Funds can be used for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements and other items.
“The Community Crossings program is a great tool for the state and local communities to work together to complete needed road projects,” said State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville). “These dollars will go a long way in helping us make necessary updates to our infrastructure.”
Area grant recipients include Evansville ($952,628), Highland ($1 million) and Vanderburgh County ($1 million).
“Maintaining our roads and bridges is critical,” said State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville). “Towns, cities and counties can take advantage of this important funding to ensure both rural and urban areas have the opportunity to make improvements.”
“Year after year, Indiana continues to be one of the top-rated states for infrastructure, and it’s thanks in large part to this successful initiative,” said State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka). “Community Crossings is a great opportunity for local governments to get a jump-start on necessary road work and upcoming projects.”
To qualify for the competitive grant, smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while larger communities provide a 50 percent match. State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $1.6 billion to improve local roads and bridges.
Visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings and click on “Community Crossings Matching Grant” to learn more about the program.
POLITICS AND DIRTY TRICKS
FOOTNOTE: The City COUNTY-OBSERVER POSTED THIS PODCAST WITHOUT OPINION, BIAS OR EDITING.