EVANSVILLE, Ind.—After an early morning thunderstorm delayed the start of the University of Southern Indiana-Quincy University softball doubleheader for two hours Saturday at the USI Softball Field, the Screaming Eagles' bats came alive.
USI (10-11, 2-0 GLVC) blasted the visiting Lady Hawks in the first game by a score of 10-0, in five innings, before picking up a 3-1 victory in game two of the GLVC-opener for both squads. The Eagles have now won 32 of their last 33 games at the USI Softball Field, including the last 15.
In game one, the Eagles scored a run in the first before pilling up seven runs in the second inning. USI sent 10 batters to the plate during the bottom half of the second as it jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead after two innings of play.
After a 47-minute lightning/rain delay, the Eagles came back to put two more runs on the score board in the bottom of the third inning to pull out the 10-0 victory.
Senior shortstop
Nichole Pike (Fairfield, Illinois) went 3-for-3 from the plate with a game-high three RBIs. Freshman catcher
Lisa Anderson (Chesterton, Indiana) hit a two-run home run in the third inning, while senior pitcher/infielder
Shannon Emmons (Boonville, Indiana) and senior second baseman
Brooke Biggs (Osceola, Indiana) each recorded a pair of RBIs.
Sophomore pitcher
Missy Grover (Mishawaka, Indiana) picked up the complete game shutout to improve her record to 4-6 on the season. Grover gave up just three hits and two walks in five innings of work.
Game two started out similar to the way the first game started. Senior centerfielder
Sunny Oelling (Valparaiso, Indiana) reached base in the first inning on an infield bunt and came around to score when Emmons dribbled a two-out single through the middle of the infield.
Emmons scored in the next at-bat when senior catcher/utility player
Kristen Houseworth (Martinsville, Indiana) doubled to left-centerfield.
The Eagles tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Anderson hit a two-out single to right-centerfield to push across Pike.
Quincy's (9-6, 0-2 GLVC) catcher, Sarah LoBue, hit a lead-off homerun to centerfield in the top off the seventh to score the Lady Hawks' only run of the day.
Emmons (5-4) picked up the complete-game victory after spreading seven hits through seven innings. She struck out one batter while allowing just one walk.
The Eagles will return to action Wednesday, March 24, when they travel to Owensboro, Kentucky, to play Kentucky Wesleyan College in a non-conference doubleheader. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
