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at Southern Indiana (23-17): 11, 7
Oakland City (6-16): 0, 0
-HTML Box Scores: Game 1 (5 innings) | Game 2

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Junior shortstop/pitcher Stephanie Bittner drove in eight runs and freshman pitcher Brooke Harmening fanned a career-high 13 batters as the University of Southern Indiana softball team swept visiting Oakland City University in a doubleheader Tuesday evening at the USI Softball Field.

Bittner was 2-for-2 at the plate with a grand slam and five RBIs to lead the Screaming Eagles to an 11-0, five-inning victory over the Lady Oaks in game one, while Harmening allowed just one hit to lead the Eagles to a 7-0 victory in the nightcap.


In game one, USI (23-17) scored five times in the home half of the first inning and six times in the second to build a comfortable 11-0 lead. Freshman catcher/infielder MacKenzi Dorsam had a two-run home run and junior rightfielder Katherine Belsito had an RBI-single to aid the Eagles in the opening frame.

Bittner, who scored the Eagles' first run of the game on a hit by freshman first baseman Elizabeth Prince and a fielding error by Oakland City rightfielder Paige Elpers, saw a potential grand slam go just foul in her second trip to the plate in the first inning before taking the bases-loaded walk to stake USI to a 5-0 lead.

She found herself in a similar situation in the second inning when she hit a grand slam over the leftfield fence to give USI the 11-0 lead. Belsito and sophomore leftfielder Kyla Gogel each had RBI-singles in the second inning as USI gave sophomore hurler Kelsey Jankowski more than enough support to pick up her sixth win of the year.

Jankowski (6-2) allowed just one hit while striking out three batters in four innings before giving way to Bittner, who struck out a pair of batters in her only inning inside the pitcher's circle.

In the night cap, the Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Bittner scored on an RBI-single by freshman second baseman Kara Werner. Bittner's RBI-double in the third inning put USI up 2-0, while her RBI-double in the fourth inning put the Eagles up 4-0.

Freshman first baseman Mollie Thomas also had an RBI-single in the fourth inning as did freshman outfielder Breanne Lahart, who was 3-of-4 with two RBIs in game two.

Bittner, who was a combined 4-of-4 with three walks, two doubles, and four runs scored in the two games, had a sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning to push across the Eagles' sixth run, while Lahart followed with a run-scoring double to cap off USI's offensive output.

Meanwhile, Harmening (13-10) rolled through the Lady Oaks' (6-16) lineup as she struck out eight consecutive batters at one point. Harmening allowed just three runners to reach base as she recorded her team-high fifth complete-game shutout of the season.

In total, USI pitching allowed just three hits and struck out 18 batters as hit held the Lady Oaks off the scoreboard.

The Eagles return to Great Lakes Valley Conference play Saturday at 11 a.m. (CDT) when they travel to Highland Heights, Kentucky, to take on Northern Kentucky University in a doubleheader. USI visits Bellarmine University Sunday at 11 a.m. (CDT) in a GLVC doubleheader before concluding its regular-season road slate April 18 at Kentucky Wesleyan College.