After falling to the Golden Rams (1-2) in an 11-inning marathon Saturday night, USI found itself in extra innings for the fourth time this weekend after the two teams battled to a 2-2 tie through seven innings of play.
Senior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt, who drove in a run in the fourth inning to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead, hit a three-run bomb over the right field fence in the top half of the eighth inning to give the Eagles the 5-2 advantage; and sophomore pitcher/infielder Katie Back entered the circle in the last half of the inning to shut the door on any West Chester comeback.
Freshman pitcher/infielder Allie Goodin (2-0) picked up the win after allowing just two runs, one earned, off five hits in 7 1/3 innings of work. She also went 2-of-4 at the plate with a run scored.
The Eagles (3-2) began the scoring in the third inning as junior outfielder Alicia Webb’s RBI-single broke a scoreless tie. After Leonhardt’s RBI in the fourth frame put USI up, 2-0, the Rams took advantage of a Goodin error in the home half of the fourth inning to cut the Eagles’ cushion in half.
West Chester added a run in the fifth inning to tie the score at 2-2 and had the bases loaded in the last half of the seventh inning. Goodin, however, held firm in the circle to send the game into the extra frame.
USI returns to action Friday at 1:30 p.m. when it hosts Midwest Region foe Ferris State University in the Midwest Region Crossover at Deaconess Sports Park.
