COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its 2024 Ohio Valley Conference campaign on the road at Tennessee Tech University on Sunday, but the Screaming Eagles fell victim to a doubleheader sweep by final scores of 2-1 and 5-0.

The series opener saw Southern Indiana (6-11, 0-2) get a runner in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but the Screaming Eagles could not advance either runner home. Tennessee Tech (9-6, 2-0) took advantage with three two-out singles in the bottom of the second inning to strike first, 1-0.

Following scoreless middle innings, USI tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out RBI double by senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) that scored senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) from first base. However, Tennessee Tech scored a go-ahead unearned run in the bottom half of the sixth after a pair of defensive errors by USI, allowing the Golden Eagles to take the first game.

USI scored one run on five hits, as Fair led Southern Indiana with a 2-2 game at the plate. Tennessee Tech tallied its two runs off eight hits.

USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) took the hard-luck loss to move to 5-5 this season. Newman tossed a full six innings, giving up two runs – one earned – with four strikeouts. Tennessee Tech’s senior pitcher Lennon Spicer moved to 2-3 with the win, surrendering one run in 6.1 innings, and freshman Emily York recorded the save.

In the back half of Sunday’s doubleheader, Tennessee Tech quickly took a 2-0 lead with a sac fly in the first inning and a bases-loaded RBI single in the second frame.

Just like the first game, USI had a couple of opportunities with a runner in scoring position early on but had trouble stringing together the necessary at-bats to drive a run across home plate.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Tennessee Tech capitalized off back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and later put together three consecutive RBI at-bats – two singles with a sac fly sandwiched in between – to add three insurance runs, giving the Golden Eagles the double-dip sweep on Sunday.

In the second game, three of USI’s five hits came from the top three in the batting order. Kihega and senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) recorded a hit in each game Sunday. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles scored its five runs in game two across nine hits.

USI junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Indiana) was charged with the loss in the late cap, dropping to 1-3. Hunter went four innings, allowing two runs. Tennessee Tech junior pitcher Payton Wagner moved to 3-1 with the win, hurling five shutout innings on Sunday. York closed out the second game also for Tennessee Tech, earning her fourth save with two scoreless frames.

UE defeats St. Bonaventure and Bellarmine

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On Sunday, the University of Evansville softball team erupted for 36 runs in two games to defeat St Bonaventure and Bellarmine.  With the performance, the Purple Aces have won four of their last five games.

Game 1 – UE 19, St. Bonaventure 4

Evansville scored 10 runs in the first inning and never looked back, cruising to a 19-4 victory over St. Bonaventure in the first game of the day.  Marah Wood got things rolling with a 3-run home run.  Hits by Alexa Davis and Brooke Voss set the table to Jenna Nink, who brought both in on a 2-run single.

Kayley Batts was hit by a pitch before Zoe Frossard singled to load the bases for Hannah Hood.  She came through with a grand slam to left that capped the 10-run start.  Batts and Nink each had RBI hits while Jess Willsey added a sac fly in a 3-run second inning before Brooke Voss had a 2-run shot in the third to give the Purple Aces a 15-3 lead.

Four more runs would score in the fifth as Lacy Smith, Taylor Howe and Callie Meinel picked up RBI hits to complete the scoring and a 19-4 UE win.  Mikayla Jolly made the start.  She pitched three innings with three runs scoring.  Elle Jarrett threw the final two frames.  Voss and Nink picked up three hits apiece while Hood led the way with four RBI.  Voss added a team-high four runs scored.

Game 2 – UE 17, Bellarmine 7

Another nice start saw Evansville pick up three runs in both the first and second innings on its way to a 17-7 victory.  Marah Wood and Abby Bode each had RBIs in the first while Bode struck again with a 2-run single in the top half of the second.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the third as Hannah Hood picked up a sacrifice fly and Jess Willsey picked up an RBI single to extend the lead to 8-2.  Evansville put a 5-spot on the board in the fifth.  Kayley Batts and Willsey each picked up 2-RBI hits in the frame while Hannah Hood notched an RBI single.

Following scoreless 5^th and 6^th innings, the Aces were back at it with a 4-run seventh with all four scoring with two outs.  After Hood led the inning off with a double, two quick fly outs brought Abby Bode to the plate.  She launched a 2-run homer to bring in hood.  Alexa Davis reached on a dropped fly ball to bring up Brooke Voss, who hit a homer of her own to make it a 17-7 game and that would be the final.

The Aces accumulated 17 runs on 16 hits in the game as Willsey led the way with three hits.  Bode notched a team-high five RBI while Willsey notched three.  Frossard and Hood scored three runs apiece.  Sydney Weatherford made the start, giving up five runs in 2 1/3 innings.  Megan Brenton threw the final 4 2/3 with two runs scoring on four hits.

Missouri Valley Conference action begins this week with UE facing Indiana State at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium.

Evansville, In.:  Deadlocked at 2-2 in the third period’s final stretch, Vadim Vasjonkin scored with only 16.6 seconds remaining to break the tie and win the game for Evansville, 3-2 over Pensacola at Ford Center on Sunday afternoon.   The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Friday, March 22^nd against the Peoria Rivermen, puck drop at 7:00pm CT.

Matthew Hobbs opened the scoring with a breakaway goal at 13:36 of the first period, assisted by Brendan Harrogate and Jordan Spadafore to give the Thunderbolts a 1-0 lead.  2:55 into the second period, another breakaway resulted in Evansville taking a 2-0 lead as Harrogate scored unassisted.  Pensacola bounced back as Lucas Herrmann scored on a power play at 5:08 to trim Evansville’s lead to 2-1, followed by Malik Johnson at 14:19 to tie the game.  Despite getting into penalty trouble again in the third period, Evansville’s penalty kill units managed to get the job done, and along with a couple more brilliant saves from Ty Taylor, kept the game tied at 2-2 until Vadim Vasjonkin’s turnaround shot with 16.6 seconds remaining snuck its’ way into the Pensacola net for the game-winning goal from Harrogate and Nick Prestia.

Harrogate led the way with a goal and two assists, while Hobbs and Vasjonkin each scored one goal.  In goal, Ty Taylor made 31 saves on 33 shots for his 3^rd win of the season.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Flyers meet again on March 29^th at Pensacola Bay Center.

GODFREY, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team closed out the opening weekend of Mid-West Athletic Conference play Sunday afternoon in style, falling in game one 5-3 before taking game two at Lewis & Clark Community College 12-1 thanks to a big eight-run second inning.

Vincennes got off to a bit of a rocky start Sunday afternoon in game one of the day, with Lewis & Clark getting on the scoreboard first with a run in the first inning.

VU would answer back however in the second inning after freshman Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) reached on a hit by pitch and moved up to second on a wild pitch, sophomore Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) drove him in on an RBI double to even the score at 1-1.

Parnin would later come around to score on a dropped third strike and throwing error, putting the Blazers on top 2-1.

Vincennes would add to this lead in a big way in the third inning with sophomore Jack Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) leading off the inning with a solo home run to increase the VU lead to 3-1.

The Trailblazers continued to ride the hot hand on the mound in freshman Carson Allen (Louisville, Ky.) who faced the minimum in the third, fourth and fifth innings before falling victim to back-to-back home runs for Lewis & Clark in the sixth inning.

Lewis & Clark completely shifted the game in the bottom of the 6th, scoring four runs in the inning and taking all momentum with a 5-3 lead.

Vincennes looked to create some two-out magic in the seventh inning after freshman Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) walked and Jack Robinson hit a single, but were unable to push a run across as Lewis & Clark took game one of the day over VU 5-3.

Carson Allen got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers in game one and threw five-plus very solid innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out four.

Jace Parnin again was asked to step on the mound from his defensive position, finishing out the sixth inning, allowing two runs on two hits in an inning of work, while striking out one.

The Trailblazers then looked to end the weekend on a high note in the series finale and quickly grabbed all of the momentum back with a massive eight-run second inning.

The first 10 batters in the inning reached base safely for the Trailblazers in the second, including an RBI single by sophomore Keegan Schlotterbeck (Centerville, Ind.), a bases loaded hit by pitch by sophomore Bryton Griffy (Louisville, Ill.) and a big bases clearing, three-RBI double by Jack Robinson.

The inning continued with sophomore Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.) driving in Robinson on an RBI double of his own before later scoring on a wild pitch.

The final run of the inning crossed on a bases loaded walk by Schlotterbeck, giving him two RBIs in the inning and putting the Blazers firmly ahead 8-0.

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers opened postseason play Sunday afternoon inside the Physical Education Complex.

The Lady Blazers earned the No. 2 seed in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Region 24/Midwest District Championship tournament and faced No. 7 seed Lincoln Trail College in the opening round.

Vincennes held serve on the home court, using a big third quarter scoring run to run away with a 96-54 victory over the Lady Statesmen.

The Lady Trailblazers got off to a quick start Sunday afternoon, opening the game by outscoring Lincoln Trail 21-3.

Lincoln Trail would close the first quarter on a 7-2 scoring run, but still trailed after the first 10 minutes of play 23-10 to VU.

Vincennes continued to add on to their lead in the second quarter, using an 11-2 scoring run to increase the lead to 34-14, before using a 10-0 scoring run late in the second quarter to take a 46-19 advantage.

Lincoln Trail would answer before the halftime break, scoring the final two baskets of the second quarter to head into the locker room trailing the Lady Trailblazers 46-24.

Vincennes again opened the third quarter firing from the floor, outscoring Lincoln Trail 9-2 early in the second half before fully pulling away with a massive 18-0 scoring run to take a 73-31 lead.

The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the third quarter, with the Blazers holding a 75-35 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.

Vincennes looked to put the game away for good in the fourth quarter, opening the final period of play on a 15-2 scoring run to take a 90-37 lead.

At this point VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks opted to play his reserves to run the game out.

Lincoln Trail continued to battle and would close out the game by outscoring VU 17-6 but were unable to overcome the deficit as Vincennes advances to the Region 24/Midwest District Semi-Finals by winning 96-54 over the Lady Statesmen.

The Lady Trailblazers were led offensively by a big night inside the paint by sophomore Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France), who just missed out on a double-double with a game-high 22 points, matching her season high. Baseyila also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists in the game.