KIRKSVILLE, Mo.—University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference setbacks on a frigid Saturday afternoon. The Screaming Eagles fell, 5-3, in the opener before dropping game two, 5-1.
USI (17-16, 6-8 GLVC) returns to action Monday at noon when it travels to Quincy, Illinois, to take on Quincy University in a GLVC twinbill.
Game 1: Truman 5, USI 1 (Box Score)
Despite getting home runs from junior second baseman Claire Johnson (Pittsboro, Indiana) and senior first baseman Marleah Fossett(Brownsburg, Indiana), the Eagles could not overcome a combined seven walks in a 5-3 loss in the opener.
Sophomore pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt (Louisville, Kentucky), who was charged with the loss, issued a free pass during Truman’s two-run first inning; then had a pair of two-out walks that led to a Bulldogs’ tally in the second frame.
After Johnson’s solo shot in the top of the third inning trimmed USI’s deficit to 3-1, the Bulldogs responded by taking advantage of an error and two walks, this time by junior hurler Courtney Atkinson (Bringhurst, Indiana), to score two more runs and extend their lead to 5-1.
Fossett’s two-run bomb in the seventh cut Truman’s lead to just two runs, but that was as close as USI would get.
Truman (19-11, 8-6 GLVC) was limited to just four hits in the opener.
Game 2: Truman 5, USI 1 (Box Score)
Johnson hit her second home run of the day to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the third inning, but Truman answered with a four-spot in the last half of the third inning to build a commanding 5-1 advantage.
Following Johnson’s home run, the Eagles were held to just two hits, both off the bat of senior third baseman Mena Fulton (Bloomington, Indiana), who went 3-for-3 with a double.
Junior pitcher Haylee Smith (Florence, Kentucky) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, three earned, off seven hits in six innings of work.
Truman State 5, Southern Indiana 3 (Apr 07, 2018 at Kirksville, MO) (Game 1)
