KISSIMMEE, Fla.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team rallied from a four-run deficit in the final two innings to defeat Southwest Minnesota State University, 6-5, to finish a perfect first day at the Division II Rebel Spring Games. The Screaming Eagles opened the day with a 5-2 victory over Great Lakes Region foe Northwood University.
Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning against Southwest Minnesota State (0-1), the Eagles capitalized on an error to plate a pair of runs and cut the deficit in half. A one-out error in the seventh inning followed by some opportunistic base running by junior rightfielder
Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) and senior leftfielder
Kathy Wood (Lynnville, Indiana) allowed the Eagles to pull with in a run.
After an intentional walk to senior third baseman
Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio), who had an RBI double in the first inning, the stage was set for sophomore designated player
Sara Loete (Pekin, Illinois). Loete answered Southwest Minnesota State's challenge with a two-run, walk-off double to give the Eagles the 6-5 victory.
Sophomore hurler
Kambria Current (Indianapolis, Indiana) came on in the third inning to pitch five scoreless innings and earn her first career victory. Current (1-0) struck out a pair of batters while allowing just four hits and a walk. She escaped a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning by getting two consecutive ground outs to end the scoring threat.
Against Northwood (6-7), the Eagles used a two-run double from freshman first baseman
Brittany DeWeese (Evansville, Indiana) in the top of the first inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead. DeWeese, who also had a triple against Northwood, extended her hitting streak to 10 games with a single against Southwest Minnesota State.
USI (6-8) extended its lead to 4-0 in the second inning with a two-run triple by Wood. Wood was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a single-game school-record tying two triples. The Eagles tacked on another run in the fourth inning on a double by Ligmanowski, giving senior pitcher
Amy Harrison (Graceville, Florida) more than enough runs to pick up the complete-game victory.
Harrison (3-5) was untouched throughout the first 16 batters she faced before allowing her first base runner in the sixth inning. She struck out nine batters while allowing just six hits and two runs, one earned, in seven innings of action.
The Eagles return to action Sunday at 8 a.m. (CDT) when they take on Wayne State University for the third time in as many weeks. USI also plays No. 16 Grand Valley State University Sunday at Noon.
