TUNICA, Miss.—Junior rightfielder
Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) tied a 30-year old school record Saturday evening as she hit three home runs to lead the University of Southern Indiana softball team to a 5-2 victory over the University of Arkansas-Monticello.
Ligmanowski, who matched Pat Snell's accomplishment (against Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis in 1978) by hitting solo shots in her first three at-bats, was hitless in the previous three games leading up to USI's outing with the Cotton Blossoms.
The Screaming Eagles' lead-off hitter flirted with a fourth home run in the bottom of the sixth inning when she hit a shot that was snagged in the left-field foul territory. Ligmanowski's career total of 12 home runs moves her into fourth place on USI's all-time list.
In the third inning, USI (1-3) broke the game wide open when sophomore catcher
Tara McConnell (Henderson, Kentucky) hit a two-run double to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Ligmanowski capped off the three-run inning with her second long-ball of the contest.
Senior pitcher
Amy Harrison (Graceville, Florida) had seven strong innings of work to record her first victory of the season. She held the Blossoms (1-9) to just two runs off three hits in seven innings of work.
Harrison (1-2) struggled in USI's first game of the day, a 13-1 loss to No. 14 University of Alabama-Huntsville. She surrendered eight runs off seven hits in less than two innings of action before giving way to sophomore
Kambria Current (Indianapolis, Indiana). Current allowed five runs off seven hits in less than two innings of work.
As a team, the Eagles mustered just three hits against the Chargers, who raised their record to 12-0. Sophomore designated player
Sara Loete (Pekin, Illinois), who hit a combined three home runs in USI's first two games Friday, had an RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth inning to provide the Eagles' only tally.
The Eagles, who are already a quarter of the way to their single-season home run record of 28 (set in 2007), wrap up their opening weekend with Henderson State University and Delta State University Sunday at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.
