at Southern Indiana (15-15, 6-8 GLVC): 8, 4
Wisconsin-Parkside (9-19, 5-5 GLVC): 0, 3
Box Scores: Game 1 (6 innings) | Game 2

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team got a pair of strong pitching performances and some timely hitting as it swept a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday afternoon at the USI Softball Field. The Screaming Eagles won game one, 8-0 in six innings, and game two, 4-3.

USI (15-15, 6-8 GLVC) used a pair of hits and capitalized on an error in the bottom of the first inning of game one to take a 2-0 lead. The Eagles tacked on another run in the third inning when senior outfielder Heather Swarts (Gas City, Indiana) hit an RBI-double down the leftfield line.

The Eagles took advantage of four UW-Parkside errors in the fifth inning to score three more times and take a 6-0 lead; then ended the contest via the eight-run rule in the sixth inning as senior second baseman Amanda Brendel hit an RBI-triple into the rightfield gap before scoring the final run a Brittany DeWeese ground out.

Freshman pitcher Madeline Brink was stellar inside the pitching circle as she blanked the visiting Rangers, giving up just three hits in six innings of work. Brink (7-7) struck out four batters while allowing three walks.

Game two started off with a bang as the Eagles once again took advantage of defensive miscues to score four times in the bottom of the first inning to build a 4-0 lead.

With the bases loaded in the first inning and one out, USI sophomore outfielder Katherine Belsito hit a ball to UW-Parkside second baseman Lexi Sotiros. Sotiros's throw to the plate to get the force out at home, however, sailed wide and to the backstop, allowing sophomore designated player/pitcher Stephanie Bittner and Brendel to score the first two runs of the game.

Senior third baseman LeAnn Collins followed with a deep fly ball in the next at-bat that was dropped by UW-Parkside rightfielder Kiersten Luevano. DeWeese scored on the play and Collins was credited with a sacrifice fly and an RBI.

Finally, the Eagles got a bases-loaded walk from freshman outfielder Teri Newmaster to score their fourth run and take a commanding four-run lead.

UW-Parkside (9-19, 5-5 GLVC), however, came back in the second inning, taking advantage of a pair of USI errors and a controversial play to score three times and cut the Eagles' advantage to just one run.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Jankowski, however, settled down throughout the remainder of the contest, allowing the Rangers just two hits in the final five innings to get the complete-game victory. Jankowski (5-2) allowed just three unearned runs off seven hits and two walks in seven innings of work.

USI returns to action Sunday at noon when it hosts Saint Joseph's College in a GLVC doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. Saint Joseph's (13-16, 6-10 GLVC) split a doubleheader with Kentucky Wesleyan College Saturday in Owensboro, Kentucky.