Screaming Eagles clinch series win with doubleheader sweep Friday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball kicked off the start of a six-game homestand Friday with a doubleheader sweep to clinch a series win against Tennessee Tech University, winning 5-1 and 3-0 from USI Softball Field.
Southern Indiana (8-17, 5-5 OVC), who had been on the road for the previous six games in the last couple of weeks, came out with a bang in the bottom of the first inning in Friday’s first game. After a pair of free passes, senior infielder Whitley Hunter barreled up a three-run home run to left field to put the Screaming Eagles up early, 3-0. It was Hunter’s first career home run in a USI uniform.
USI tacked onto its lead in the bottom of the fourth. After three consecutive singles to load the bases, sophomore infielder Sydney Long shot a pitch back up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and push the Screaming Eagles’ advantage up to 5-0.
Tennessee Tech (10-22, 4-7 OVC) tallied an unearned run in the sixth, but senior pitcher Josie Newman sealed the deal with her 11th complete game this season.
Newman (5-10) struck out six and gave up only two hits and the unearned run. Offensively, USI totaled nine hits in game one with freshman first baseman Lilly Brown recording two hits and sophomore outfielder Kate Satkoski going 3-3 at the plate.
For the Golden Eagles, sophomore starting pitcher Emily York (4-6) was dealt the loss after surrendering all five runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Payton Wagner tossed the last 2.2 innings.
The second game of the twin bill started out in a pitcher’s duel between Tennessee Tech’s freshman pitcher Lainey Fitzgerald and USI’s freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus. There were only four combined singles allowed through the first three and a half innings.
USI ended the scoreless battle in the home half of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton delivered a two-out RBI single to give the Screaming Eagles a 1-0 lead. Stapleton registered two hits in the game.
After Witthaus kept the shutout intact in the fifth and sixth innings, Southern Indiana added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth with a run on an RBI triple by Satkoski who later came home to score on a wild pitch to make it a 3-0 lead for USI.
Witthaus finished the game to improve to 3-6 on the season, notched her fifth complete game this season, and also pitched her first career shutout and first of the season for USI. Witthaus struck out four and allowed only four hits in the outing.
Tennessee Tech’s Fitzgerald also went the distance, dropping to 3-6 after surrendering three runs with eight strikeouts in six innings of work.
Southern Indiana will aim to collect a series sweep on Saturday in the series finale. First pitch for Saturday’s game at USI Softball Field has been moved up to 9:30 a.m. due to rain in the afternoon forecast.
Saturday’s game can be heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
