ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team opened its GLVC slate with a pair of setbacks to the University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday afternoon. The Screaming Eagles lost the first game, 4-3, in eight innings before falling 3-1 in the nightcap.
In game one, the Eagles (8-20, 0-2 GLVC) plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-1 advantage. Sophomore infielder
Dani Finkelstein (Windsor, Colorado) doubled to push across USI's first run of the inning; then fellow classmate
Dani Monks (Evansville, Indiana), who pinch-ran for Finkelstein, scored the go-ahead run two batters later when senior shortstop
Ally McKinley (Sullivan, Indiana) hit an RBI-single.
Sophomore infielder
Amanda Brendel (Salem, Illinois) gave the Eagles a two-run lead two batters later as she singled in USI's final run of the inning.
Missouri-St. Louis (15-12, 4-2 GLVC), however, got an RBI-double from outfielder Megan Riggs to cut USI's lead in half, then took advantage of a McKinley error in the next at-bat to tie the contest at 3-3.
The Tritons capitalized on USI's third error of the contest to push across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to hand USI its 12th one-run loss and sixth extra inning setback of the year.
Senior pitcher
Stephanie Schneider (Birdseye, Indiana) took the loss in game one after giving up four runs, two earned, off six hits in 7.1 innings of work. Schneider (3-10) struck out nine batters while issuing three walks.
In game two, freshman hurler
Hadley Clark (Owensboro, Kentucky) surrendered a lead-off home run to the Triton's shortstop, Kelly Essner, in the bottom of the first inning as the Eagles fell behind 1-0 early.
Missouri-St. Louis took advantage of a lead-off walk to take a 2-0 lead in the fourth frame before USI answered with a tally in the top of the fifth inning. Monks' two-out, RBI-double in the fifth frame cut USI's deficit to a run.
The Tritons, however, added an insurance run in the sixth inning and held the Eagles' offense in check throughout the last two innings to pick up the 3-1 decision.
Clark (2-2) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs off six hits in 6.0 innings of action.
USI finishes its first weekend of GLVC play Sunday when it travels to Rolla, Missouri, to take on Missouri University of Science and Technology. First pitch is slated for noon.
