EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team bounced back from a 4-0 game one loss to defeat Saint Joseph's College, 3-2, in game two and salvage a doubleheader split with the visiting Pumas Saturday afternoon at the USI Softball Field.
After being limited to just one base runner in game one, the Screaming Eagles used back-to-back one-out hits and a two-out RBI-single by sophomore second baseman
Amanda Brendel (Valparaiso, Indiana) to break a scoreless tie and take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
Saint Joseph's (27-17, 13-9 GLVC) matched the Eagles' tally in the top of the fourth inning, but USI used a two-out rally spurred by an RBI-double by junior leftfielder
Lindsay Raikes (Speedway, Indiana) in the bottom of the inning to plate a pair of runs and take a 3-1 lead heading into the final three frames. Senior rightfielder
Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) drove in Rakes with an RBI-single in the next at-bat to give the Eagles the 2-0 lead.
Sophomore pitcher
Dawn McClellan (Valparaiso, Indiana) picked up the win after allowing just two runs, one earned, off seven hits. McClellan (7-13) recorded six strike outs and allowed just one walk to record her second straight victory and her fourth win in her last five starts.
Game one belonged to Saint Joseph's senior left-handed pitcher Sara Somogyi, who allowed just one walk en route to the no-hitter. Somogyi (22-9), who took the loss in game two after giving up three runs off six hits, recorded six strike outs in both game one and game two.
USI (16-33, 6-15) got a great effort out of freshman
Hadley Clark (Owensboro, Kentucky), who was charged with the loss after giving up four unearned runs off six hits. She falls to 4-8 with the decision.
A lead-off walk and two errors allowed the Pumas to score four times in the top of the fourth inning and grab the game-one victory.
The Eagles conclude the 2009 season Sunday when they host the University of Indianapolis in a GLVC doubleheader beginning at noon at the USI Softball Field. USI will honor its three seniors—Ligmanowski, shortstop
Ally McKinley (Sullivan, Indiana), and pitcher
Stephanie Schneider (Birdseye, Indiana)—as part of its Senior Day and Varsity Club Day festivities following the games.