at #21 Lewis (26-7, 15-1 GLVC): 5, 4
Southern Indiana (19-17, 8-10 GLVC): 3, 0
Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2

ROMEOVILLE, Ill.—Defensive miscues and three Lewis University home runs proved to be too much for the University of Southern Indiana softball team to overcome Sunday as the Screaming Eagles lost both games of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader to the No. 21 Flyers at the Lewis Softball Field. USI lost game one, 5-3, and game two, 4-0.

In game one, the Eagles (19-17, 8-10 GLVC) fell into an early rut as the Flyers capitalized on three USI errors in the second and third innings to score three unearned runs and take a 3-0 advantage.

USI, however, rallied in the top of the fifth inning when senior shortstop Dani Finkelstein hit an RBI-single into right field to push across the Eagles' first run of the contest. Junior third baseman Kristen O'Haver and senior outfielder Reva LeDune-Bourgasser each had RBIs in the sixth frame as the Eagles tied the contest at 3-3.

Lewis (26-7, 15-1 GLVC), however, got a one-out, two-run home run from outfielder Jessica Rourke in the last half of the sixth inning to retake the lead.

The Eagles, who stranded eight runners on base in the opening game, had runners at second and third base in the top of the seventh inning, but could not push them across the plate as they suffered their first loss in the last seven games.

Freshman pitcher Madeline Brink was saddled with the loss despite giving up just two earned runs in six innings. Brink (9-8) gave up just six hits and had three strikeouts, but the three unearned runs proved to be the difference-maker.

Lewis, which has won 12 straight games, got a three-run home run off the bat of shortstop Michelle Vucsko in the bottom of the first inning of game two to take a 3-0 lead. First baseman Stephanie Harmon hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to add insurance to the Flyers' advantage.

USI had runners on base in all but two innings, but could not push any runners across the plate as it suffered its first shutout in the last 11 games and only it's fourth of the season. Like the first game, USI left eight runners on base in the second contest.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Jankowski was charged with the loss after giving up four runs, three earned, off nine hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. She falls to 7-3 with the decision.

The Eagles, who slipped to eighth in the GLVC standings with the loss, return to action Wednesday at 4 p.m. when they host Brescia University in a doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. USI returns to GLVC action next Saturday when it travels to Springfield, Missouri, to take on Drury University.