EAST PEORIA, Ill.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team used a pair of home runs and a strong pitching performance to defeat the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 7-0, in the elimination bracket of the GLVC Tournament late Friday night.

With the victory, the Screaming Eagles (31-23-1) propel themselves into the final four of the conference tournament for the fourth straight year and the fifth time under Head Coach Sue Kunkle.

Sophomore shortstop Ally McKinley (Sullivan, Indiana) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when she followed up senior second baseman Audra Lindenschmidt's (Evansville, Indiana) lead-off triple with a two run blast over the left-centerfield fence.

USI tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Sophomore rightfielder Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) hit a solo shot, her third of the day for the Eagles and her fourth in the last nine games, to lead the inning off.

The Eagles proceeded to score a run on a wild pitch, another on a passed ball, and the final on the passed ball and a throwing error by UWP catcher Allison Wodziak. McKinley, who tied junior third baseman/pitcher Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio) for the team lead with her seventh long ball of the season, finished the scoring in the sixth inning with an RBI single to left-centerfield.

Behind the strong right arm of junior hurler Amy Harrison (Graceville, Florida), the Eagles had more than enough run support to advance in the tournament. Harrison (18-12) was excellent in the win as she allowed just three hits while recording nine strikeouts and not allowing a walk.

On a day that saw the Eagles rack up 31 hits, hit six home runs, and score 21 times, USI was 2-1 in the first day of the double-elimination conference tournament. The Eagles lost in the first round to Quincy University, 13-8, before defeating Saint Joseph's College, 6-5, in the first round of the elimination bracket.

The fifth-seeded Eagles take on the third seed, the University of Missouri-Rolla, Saturday at 1 p.m. in the elimination bracket. If the Eagles win, they would face the loser of the contest between top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Lewis University and second-seeded and No. 13-ranked Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Saturday at 5 p.m.