EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team secured the fourth seed and the last at-bat in the first round of the GLVC Tournament—which starts Friday, April 30, at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois—by sweeping a doubleheader from Kentucky Wesleyan College Tuesday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.

USI (23-22, 11-7 GLVC) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning in game one and two more in the fifth inning to pick up a 3-2 victory over the Panthers.

With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, senior third baseman/pitcher Shannon Emmons (Boonville, Indiana) hit an RBI double down the leftfield line to score shortstop Nichole Pike (Fairfield, Illinois), who reached first base after being hit by a pitch.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning, the Screaming Eagles took advantage of a lead-off walk to score two runs and go up 3-1. Senior second baseman Brooke Biggs (Osceola, Indiana) led the inning off with the free pass and came around to score the go-ahead run when senior catcher/utility player Kristen Houseworth (Martinsville, Indiana) singled to left field.

Senior leftfielder Jessica Brown (Evansville, Indiana) hit a single down the leftfield line to score Houseworth and give the Eagles an all-important third run.

KWC (4-36, 1-19 GLVC) tacked on its second run in the sixth inning when first baseman Carol Richardson hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot over the rightfield fence.

Sophomore pitcher Missy Grover (Mishawaka, Indiana) picked up her team-leading 11th victory of the season after giving up the two runs off seven hits in seven innings of work.

The Eagles took advantage of two Biggs' walks in game two to score their first two runs of the contest. Biggs scored in the bottom of the first off an Emmons' single and in the bottom of the third off a Houseworth single. Biggs, who walked three times during the two games, is now tied for the league lead with 25 free passes.

USI finished its scoring when Houseworth recorded a two-run double in the fifth inning to give the Eagles a 4-0 win. Houseworth was a combined 3-of-5 on the day with a run scored and four runs batted in.

Emmons (10-10) gave up just four hits en route to a complete game shutout. She struck out two batters, while walking two more.

USI, which played its final games on the current USI Softball Field, will play the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the first round of the GLVC Tournament Friday at 9 a.m. UWP is the fifth seed in the tournament.