KISSIMMEE, Fla.—University of Southern Indiana sophomore first baseman
Brittany DeWeese (Evansville, Indiana) hit a pair of home runs to help lift the Screaming Eagles' softball team to victories over Midwest Region foes Northwood University, 6-4, and Ashland University, 2-0, Sunday at the Division II Rebel Spring Games.
DeWeese hit her first home run, a two-run blast over the centerfield fence, in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead over the Timberwolves.
Northwood (5-7) plated three runs in the top of the sixth inning to forge a 4-2 advantage, but the Eagles answered with four tallies in the last part of the inning and kept the Timberwolves off the board in the seventh frame to pick up the 6-4 victory.
Senior shortstop
Ally McKinley (Sullivan, Indiana), junior catcher
Tara McConnell (Henderson, Kentucky), sophomore third baseman
Dani Finkelstein (Windsor, Colorado), and sophomore outfielder
Heather Swarts (Gas City, Indiana) all had RBIs in the sixth inning to give the Eagles the two run cushion heading into the final frame.
Senior hurler
Stephanie Schneider (Birdseye, Indiana) struck out a career-high 10 batters to pick up her first win of the season. Schneider (1-5) gave up four runs, two earned, off seven hits and a walk en route to the complete-game victory.
The Eagles (3-11) got an outstanding effort out of sophomore pitcher
Dawn McClellan (Valparaiso, Indiana) in their 2-0 win over Ashland (0-3).
Dawn McClellan
McClellan (1-6) scattered six hits throughout seven innings to give USI its first shutout of the year. She struck out five batters and allowed just one walk as the Eagles won for the third straight outing.
USI's offense came in the form of a two-run blast off DeWeese's bat in the top half of the sixth inning. The two-out rally started with a single by junior All-American designated player
Sara Loete (Pekin, Illinois), who extended her hitting streak to seven games with the base knock.
The Eagles continue the Rebel Spring Games Monday when they take on two more Midwest Region foes. USI plays Saginaw Valley State University at 10 a.m. and No. 8 Ferris State University at noon.
