WHEELING, W.V.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team scored seven runs in the final three innings to overcome a 5-0 deficit and defeat West Virginia Wesleyan College, 7-6, Sunday morning at the Great Lakes Regional Shootout.
USI (17-12) defeated Wheeling Jesuit University, 8-3, in its first game of the day as it finished the regional crossover with a 3-1 mark.
The Screaming Eagles return home Tuesday to take on Brescia University in a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at the USI Softball Field.
Southern Indiana 8, Wheeling Jesuit 3
After USI saw its 3-0 lead evaporate, junior second baseman
Audra Lindenschmidt (Evansville, Indiana) hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Eagles up 5-3 in the top of the fifth inning.
USI tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning to run away with the victory.
Lindenschmidt led the Eagles offensively, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Senior shortstop
Krista Nugent (Hurricane, Utah) also had a pair of RBIs, while sophomore third baseman
Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio) had another RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Senior pitcher
Missy Grover (Mishawaka, Indiana) won her team-leading 10th game of the season. Grover (10-5) gave up three runs, two earned, off five hits in seven innings of work.
Southern Indiana 7, West Virginia Wesleyan (26-13) 6
USI hit two home runs and scored five times in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a 5-0 deficit. Freshman utility player
Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) hit a solo home run to start the scoring spree.
After a walk and a pair of RBI doubles—off the bats of Eickholt and Lindenschimdt—got the Eagles to within two runs, senior hurler
Lindsey McNaughton (Carmel, Indiana) blasted a two-run shot to straight-away center to tie the contest.
The Eagles, however, surrendered another run in the top of the sixth and found themselves trailing 7-6.
Once again, USI rose to the occasion in the bottom of the seventh. Senior catcher
Angie Davis (Greenwood, Indiana) hit a one-out single to score Eickholt and tie the contest.
WVWC reliever Colby Cooper followed with a wild pitch as she was attempting to intentionally walk McNaughton. The errant pitch allowed Lindenschmidt to score from third and end the game with the Eagles on top, 7-6.
McNaughton (7-7) picked up the victory despite giving up six runs off 11 hits. Just three of the runs were earned.
