OWENSBORO, Ky.—University of Southern Indiana Softball dropped both games on the second and final day of the Blue Bridge Battle. The Screaming Eagles fell to Northwood University, 5-4, in the opener before falling to Ashland University, 10-3, in their second game.
Northwood 5, USI 4
Freshman pitcher Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) drove in two runs in the top of the second inning and senior designated player Katie Back(Indianapolis, Indiana) had a two-run single in the sixth inning, but Northwood answered the Eagles scores each time.
The Timberwolves (3-2) tagged USI for four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-2 lead and answered USI’s two-run sixth frame with a with a go-ahead run in the last half of the sixth.
USI (10-6) had runners at first and second with two outs in the seventh, but a strikeout closed the door on USI’s comeback attempt.
Senior pitcher Maddie Duncan (Lynnville, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles after coming on in relief during the second inning. Duncan (1-2) gave up just one run off four hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Ashland 10, USI 3
USI and Ashland traded runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings, but a four-run third inning and a three-run seventh inning was too much for the Screaming Eagles to overcome in a 10-3 setback.
Junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) paced the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Gotshall also had a strong presence at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI-triple, while senior third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois) had an sacrifice fly to drive in USI’s second run of the game.
Freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, three earned, off five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. Newman (2-3) had four strikeouts and three walks.
