(Sortable)

at Southern Indiana (15-5, 8-0 GLVC): 9, 8
Kentucky Wesleyan (5-13, 4-6 GLVC): 4, 0
-HTML Box Score: Game 1 | Game 2 (6 innings)

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team scored a combined 14 unanswered runs Wednesday as it swept a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from East Division foe Kentucky Wesleyan College at the USI Softball Field. USI won the first game, 9-4, before taking the nightcap, 8-0, in six innings.

USI (15-5, 8-0 GLVC), which is off to its best 20-game start since 1999 and its best GLVC start since 2000, trailed 4-3 heading into the bottom of the third inning of game one when it erupted for four tallies to take a three-run advantage.

Freshman pitcher Brooke Harmening, who had a sacrifice fly in USI's three-run first inning, put the Screaming Eagles into a 4-4 tie with her RBI-single in the third frame. Junior rightfielder Katherine Belsito had a three-run double three batters later and the Eagles never looked back.


USI tacked on another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Stephanie Bittner and ended its game-one scoring output with an RBI-single off the bat of sophomore centerfielder Teri Newmaster in the sixth inning. Newmaster went a combined 6-of-8 at the plate in the doubleheader with a three stolen bases, a pair of RBIs, and three runs scored.

Harmening (8-4) struggled inside the pitcher's circle early in the contest; but after allowing back-to-back singles to lead off the fifth inning, she set down the final nine batters she faced to earn the victory.

In game two, the Eagles scored four times in both the second and sixth innings to secure their seventh straight win. Seven different players recorded RBIs for the Eagles, giving sophomore hurler Kelsey Jankowski more than enough ammunition to come away with her fourth win of the season and her first complete-game shutout of the year.

Jankowski (4-0) scattered four hits throughout six innings of work to earn the win. It also was USI's third shutout in the last six games.

Freshman catcher MacKenzi Dorsam highlighted the Eagles' victory at the plate as she went 3-of-4 with a double and an RBI. Her RBI-double in the sixth inning gave the Eagles the win via the eight-run rule.

USI continues its 12-game homestand Saturday when it hosts Bellarmine University in a GLVC doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. The Knights are 15-11 overall and 6-2 in the GLVC.