EAST PEORIA, Ill.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team went 0-2 and was eliminated from the GLVC Tournament Thursday, falling to the University of Indianapolis, 5-2, and to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2-1, in eight innings.
It marks the first time since 2003 that the Screaming Eagles (31-23) have been eliminated from the GLVC Tournament on the first day.
Against Indianapolis (35-24), the Eagles got two-out, solo home runs from senior third baseman
Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio) and sophomore catcher
Tara McConnell (Henderson, Kentucky).
The Greyhounds, however, sandwiched five runs in between the Eagles' tallies. Indianapolis used a two-out rally to plate three runs in the bottom of the first inning as well as a walk and two singles to lead off the third inning and score two more runs.
Senior pitcher
Amy Harrison (Graceville, Florida) gave up five runs, three earned, and was charged with the setback. Harrison (14-13) allowed just three hits, but three walks led to three of the Greyhounds' runs.
In the elimination game, Missouri-St. Louis (25-25) used back-to-back two-out singles to plate the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning.
USI tied the contest on a solo home run by sophomore designated player
Sara Loete (Pekin, Illinois) in the top of the sixth inning. Loete's home run was her team-high 10th of the season, making her just the second player in school history to reach 10 home runs in a single season.
The Tritons, however, used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to push across the game-winning run and advance in the GLVC Tournament.
Junior hurler
Stephanie Schneider (Birdseye, Indiana) took the loss for the Eagles despite giving up just two runs off four hits in seven-and-two-thirds innings of work. Schneider (9-6) struck out four batters while issuing two walks.
USI, which was eighth in the latest NCAA II Great Lakes Region rankings, will have to await the NCAA's announcement of the Great Lakes Region Tournament field, which is expected to be made some time Sunday night. The NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament, which is May 8-12, takes eight teams including automatic qualifiers from the GLVC, The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.