Eagles clinch OVC tournament berth on Sunday
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened its Sunday doubleheader at Southeast Missouri State University with a 4-3 victory, but the Redhawks secured a 10-0 win in five innings in the afternoon’s second game to claim the weekend series.
In Sunday’s first game, Southern Indiana (14-23, 11-11 OVC) did not take long to get on the scoreboard. Three singles loaded the bases before freshman third baseman Jordan Mackey cleared the bags with a double into the gap to give the Screaming Eagles a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Southeast Missouri (23-15, 16-7 OVC) answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, but USI responded with another tally in the top of the third inning. With two outs, freshman Jinnis Gerth singled up the middle to score sophomore infielder Sydney Long and put USI up by two, 4-2.
From that point, it was freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus who took control. Despite SEMO scoring a run to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth, Witthaus remained unfazed and gave USI another strong outing to pick up a win in the middle game of the series and force a series rubber match.
Witthaus (6-7) added to her streak of consecutive quality starts for the Eagles, striking out a pair and allowing three runs in the win.
Mackey paced USI with three RBIs, while junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton led the team with two hits in the game. Long had a hit and scored two runs in the contest. USI totaled seven hits.
For SEMO, sophomore Maddie Carney (2-5) was dealt the loss after surrendering four runs – three earned – in five innings of work.
The second game and series finale on Sunday went scoreless after one frame, but Southeast Missouri scored six unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning to jump ahead 6-0. The Redhawks went on to score four total runs between the third and fourth innings to climb up to a 10-0 lead.
Despite a few scattered hits for the Screaming Eagles, USI could not string together momentum to chip away before the final out in the fifth inning.
Stapleton went 3-3 in the batter’s box for USI. Sophomores Shelby Stivers and Angelia Davis accounted for the other two hits for the Eagles.
Senior pitcher Josie Newman (8-15) was given the loss, being charged with the first six unearned runs in 1.2 innings.
