Junior centerfielder/pitcher Rachel Bowling (Middletown, Indiana) hit a pair of two-run homeruns in the second game of a doubleheader this afternoon at the USI Softball Field in Evansville, Indiana to lead the University of Southern Indiana softball team to a 4-0 game-two victory over Oakland City University. The Screaming Eagles (22-12) rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win game one 4-3 in nine innings.

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one, sophomore first baseman Monica Tepe (Granger, Indiana) reached on an error by OCU shortstop Heather Fuson. After a ground out by Bowling, sophomore catcher Kristen Houseworth (Martinsville, Indiana) stepped to the plate with two outs and Tepe standing at second base. Houseworth rose to the occasion as she doubled to leftfield to bring home Tepe and extend the game to extra innings.

Junior shortstop Jenny Duell (Lafayette, Indiana) came around to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth-inning when OCU right fielder Ashley Koester miss-played a Tepe single. The error allowed Duell to score from first base and give USI the 4-3 game-one victory.

Freshman hurler Brandy Bates (Boonville, Indiana) came on in relief to record her third consecutive victory. Bates (3-0) did not allow a single batter reach first base and struck out five of the 12 batters she faced in four innings of work. In the last two games Bates has pitched, she has allowed just one batter to reach first base—the batter was thrown out trying to steal second—in 11 innings of work.

Bowling provided all the offense USI would need in game two as she went 3-for-3 from the plate including the two homeruns. She started the scoring with a two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning and ended the scoring with another two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bowling, who has a team-leading 10 homeruns on the season, went a combined 5-of-6 on the day including a double and a base-on-balls.

Senior pitcher Danielle Garnett (Griffith, Indiana) recorded her fourth consecutive shutout and her team-leading fifth of the season. Garnett recorded eight strikeouts and allowed just five hits as she improved to 13-6 on the campaign.

The Eagles will continue their season-long 12-game home stand this Sunday, April 14 as they host Saint Joseph's College in a noon doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. Sunday's action is Senior Day for USI as well as Varsity Club Day. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be free complements of the USI Varsity Club.

USI will wrap up its home stand and its 2002 home schedule next Wednesday, April 17 as it hosts McKendree College in a 3 p.m. doubleheader. OCU falls to 7-10 with the losses.